EQUATORIAL  ^  AMERICA 

MATURIN  M.BALLOU 


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EQUATORIAL  AMERICA 

DESCRIPTIVE  OF  A  VISIT  TO  ST.  THOMAS 

MARTINIQUE,   BARBADOES,  AND 

THE  PRINCIPAL  CAPITALS 

OF  SO  UTH  AMERICA 


MATURIN   M.iBALLOU 


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BOSTON   AND    NEW   YORK 
HOUGHTON,  MIFFLIN   AND   COMPANY 

1892 


Copyright,  1892, 
By  MATURIN  M.  BALLOU. 

All  rights  reserved. 


ITit  Rivtrnde  Press,  Cambridge,  Mass.,  U.  S.  A. 
Electrotyped  and  Printed  by  H.  0.  Houghton  &  Company. 


6  2.. 


DEDICATED 

TO 

CAPTAIN    E.   C.   BAKER 

OF  THE 

STEAMSHIP  VJGILANCIA 

WITH  WARM  APPRECIATION  OF  HIS  QUALITIES 

AS  A  GENTLEMAN 

AND  AN   ACCOMPLISHED   SEAMAN 


PREFACE. 


"  I  AM  a  part  of  all  that  I  have  seen,"  says  Tenny- 
son, a  sentiment  which  every  one  of  large  experience 
will  heartily  indorse.  With  the  extraordinary  facili- 
ties for  travel  available  in  modem  times,  it  is  a 
serious  mistake  in  those  who  possess  the  means,  not 
to  become  familiar  with  the  various  sections  of  the 
globe.  Vivid  descriptions  and  excellent  photographs 
give  us  a  certain  knowledge  of  the  great  monuments 
of  the  world,  both  natural  and  artificial,  but  the  trav- 
eler always  finds  the  reality  a  new  revelation,  whether 
it  be  the  marvels  of  a  Yellowstone  Park,  a  vast 
oriental  temple,  Alaskan  glaciers,  or  the  Pyramids 
of  Ghiza.  The  latter,  for  instance,  do  not  differ  from 
the  statistics  which  we  have  so  often  seen  recorded, 
their  great,  dominating  outlines  are  the  same  as  pic- 
toriaUy  delineated,  but  when  we  actually  stand  before 
them,  they  are  touched  by  the  wand  of  enchantment, 
and  spring  into  visible  life.  Heretofore  they  have 
been  shadows,  henceforth  they  are  tangible  and  real. 
The  best  descriptions  fail  to  inspire  us,  experience 


VI  PREFACE. 

alone  can  do  that.  "What  words  can  adequately  depict 
the  confused  grandeur  of  the  Falls  of  Schaffhausen ; 
the  magnificence  of  the  Himalayan  range,  —  roof-tree 
of  the  world ;  the  thrilling  beauty  of  the  Ybsemite 
Valley  ;  the  architectural  loveliness  of  the  Taj  Mahal, 
of  India ;  the  starry  splendor  of  equatorial  nights ; 
the  maritime  charms  of  the  Bay  of  Naples ;  or  the 
marvel  of  the  Midnight  Sun  at  the  North  Cape  ?  It 
is  personal  observation  alone  which  truly  satisfies, 
educating  the  eye  and  enriching  the  understanding. 
If  we  can  succeed  in  imparting  a  portion  of  our  en- 
joyment to  others,  we  enhance  our  own  pleasure,  and 
therefore  these  notes  of  travel  are  given  to  the  public. 

M.  M.  B. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  L 

PAOB 

Commencement  of  a  Long  Journey.  —  The  Gulf  Stream.  —  Hayti. 

—  Sighting  St.  Thomas. — Ship  Rock.  —  Expert  Divers. — 
Fidgety  Old  Lady.  —  An  Lnportant  Island.  —  The  Old  Slaver. 

—  Aborigines.  —  St.  Thomas  Cigars.  —  Population.  —  Tri- 
Mountain.  —  The  Neg^o  Paradise.  —  Hurricanes.  —  Variety  of 
Fish.  —  Coaling  Ship.  —  The  Firefly  Dance.  —  A  Weird  Scene. 

—  An  Antique  Anchor 1 

CHAPTER  II. 

f 

Curious  Seaweed.  —  Professor  Agassiz.  —  Mjrth  of  a  Lost  Conti- 
nent. —  Island  of  Martinique.  —  An  Attractive  Place.  —  Statue 
of  the  Empress  Josephine.  —  Birthplace  of  Madame  de  Main- 
tenon.  —  City  of  St.  Pierre.  —  Mont  Pel4e.  —  High  Flavored 
Specialty.  —  Grisettes  of  Maritinque.  —  A  Botanical  Garden;  — 
Defective  Drainage.  —  A  Fatal  Enemy.  —  A  Cannibal  Snake. 

—  The  CUmate 33 

CHAPTER  IIL 

English  Island  of  Barbadoes.  —  Bridgetown  the  Capital.  —  The 
Manufacture  of  Rum.  —  A  Geographical  Expert.  —  Very  Eng- 
lish.—  A  Pest  of  Ants.  —  Exports.  —  The  Ice  House.  —  A 
Dense  Population.  —  Educational.  —  Marine  Hotel.  —  Habits 
of  Gambling.  —  Hurricanes.  —  Curious  Antiquities.  —  The  Bar- 
badoes Leg.  —  Wakeful  Dreams.  —  Absence  of  Twilight.  — 
Departure  from  the  Island 51 

CHAPTER   IV. 

Curious  Ocean  Experiences.  —  The  Delicate  Nautilus.  —  Flying- 
Fish.  —  The   Southern  Cross.  —  Speaking  a  Ship  at  Sea.  — 


viii  CONTENTS. 

Scientific  Navigation.  —  South  America  as  a  Whole.  —  Fanna 
and  Flora.  —  Natural  Resources  of  a  Wonderful  Land.  — 
Rivers,  Plains,  and  Mountain  Ranges.  —  Aboriginal  Tribes.  — 
Population.  —  Political  Divisions.  —  Civil  Wars.  —  Weakness 
of  South  American  States 68 


CHAPTER  V. 

City  of  Pari.  —  The  Equatorial  Line.  —  Spanish  History.  —  The 
King  of  Waters.  —  Private  Gardens.  —  Domestic  Life  in  North- 
em  Brazil.  —  Delicious  Pineapples.  —  Family  Pets.  —  Opera 
House.  —  Mendicants.  —  A  Grand  Avenue.  —  Botanical  Gar- 
den. —  India-Rubber  Tree.  —  Gathering  the  Raw  Material.  — 
Monkeys.  —  The  Royal  Palm.  —  Splendor  of  Equatorial  Nights    94 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Island  of  Marajo.  —  Rare  and  Beautiful  Birds.  — Original  Mode 
of  Securing  Humming-Birds-  —  MaranhSo.  —  Educational.  — 
Value  of  Native  Forests.  —  Pemambuco.  —  Difficulty  of  Land- 
ing. —  An  Ill-Chosen  Name.  —  Local  Scenes.  —  Uncleanly  Hab- 
it* of  the  People.  —  Great  Sugar  Mart.  —  Native  Houses.  —  A 
Quaint  Hostelry.  —  Catamarans.  —  A  Natural  Breakwater.  — 
Siuling  down  the  Coast 115 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Port  of  Bahia.  —  A  Qaunt  Old  City.  —  Former  Capital  of  Brazil. 
—  Whaling  Interests.  —  Beautiful  Panorama. —  Tramways.  — 
No  Color  Line  Here.  —  The  Sedan  Chair.  —  Feather  Flowers.  — 
A  Great  Orange  Mart.  —  Passion  Flower  Fruit.  —  Coffee,  Sugar, 
and  Tobacco.  —  A  Coffee  Plantation.  —  Something  about  Dia- 
monds. —  Health  of  the  City.  —  Curious  Tropical  Street  Scenes  138 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Cape  Frio.  —  Rio  Janeiro.  —  A  Splendid  Harbor.  —  Various 
Mountains.  —  Botafogo  Bay.  —  The  Hunchback.  —  Farewell 
to  the  Vigilancia.  —  Tijuca.  —  Italian  Emigrants.  —  City  In- 
stitutions. —  Public  Amusements.  —  Street  Musicians.  — 
Churches.  —  Narrow  Thoroughfares.  —  Merchants'  Clerks.  — 
Railroads  in  Brazil.  —  Natural  Advantages  of  the  City.  —  The 
Public  Plazas.  — EzportB 155 


CONTENTS.  IX 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Outdoor  Scenes  in  Rio  Janeiro.  —  The  Little  Marmoset.  —  The 
Fish  Market.  —  Secluded  Women.  —  The  Romish  Church.  — 
Botanical  Garden.  —  Various  Species  of  Trees.  —  Grand  Ave- 
nue of  Royal  Palms.  —  About  Humming-Birds.  —  Climate  of 
Rio.  —  Surrounded  by  Yellow  Fever.  —  The  Country  Inland.  — 
Begging  on  the  Streets.  —  Flowers.  —  "  Portuguese  Joe."  — 
Social  Distinctions 180 

CHAPTER   X. 

Petropolis.  —  Summer  Residence  of  the  Citizens  of  Rio.  — 
Brief  Sketch  of  the  late  Royal  Family.  —  Dom  Pedro's  Palace. 

—  A  Delightful  Mountain  Sanitarium.  —  A  Successful  but 
Bloodless  Revolution.  —  Floral  Delights.  —  Mountain  Scenery. 

—  Heavy  Gambling.  —  A  German  Settlement.  —  Casca- 
tinha.  —  Remarkable  Orchids.  —  Local  Types.  —  A  Brazilian 
Forest.  —  Compensation 201 

CHAPTER  XL 

Port  of  Santos.  — Yellow  Fever  Scourge.  —  DoAvn  the  Coast  to 
Montevideo.  —  The  Cathedral.  —  Pamperos.  —  Domestic  Ar- 
chitecture. —  A  Grand  Thoroughfare.  —  City  Institutions.  — 
Commercial  Advantages.  —  The  Opera  House.  —  The  Bull- 
Fight.  —  Beggars  on  Horseback.  —  City  Shops.  —  A  Typical 
Character.  —  Intoxication.  —  The  Campo  Santo.  —  Exports.  — 
Rivers  and  Railways 217 

CHAPTER  XIL 

Buenos  Ayres.  —  Extent  of  the  Argentine  Republic.  —  Popula- 
tion. —  Narrow  Streets.  —  Large    Public   Squares.  —  Basques. 

—  Poor  Harbor.  —  Railway  System.  —  River  Navigation.  — 
Tramways.  —  The  Cathedral.  —  Normal  Schools.  —  News- 
papers. —  Public   Buildings.  —  Calle  Florida.  —  A   Busy  City. 

—  Mode  of  furnishing  Milk.  —  Environs.  —  Commercial  and 
Political  Growth.  —  The  New  Capital 244 

CHAPTER   XIII. 

City  of  Rosario.  —  Its  Population.  —  A  Pretentions  Church.  — 
Ocean  Experiences.  —  Morbid  Fancies.  —  Strait  of  Magellan. 


X  CONTENTS. 

—  A  Great  Discoverer.  —  Local  Characteristics.  —  Patago- 
nians  and  Fuegians.  —  Giant  Kelp.  —  Unique  Mail  Box.  — 
Punta  Arenas.  —  An  Ex-Penal  Colony.  —  The  Albatross.  — 
Natives.  —  A  Naked  People.  —  Whales.  —  Sea-Birds.* —  Gla- 
ciers. —  Mount  Sarmiento.  —  A  Singpilar  Story 271 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

The  Land  of  Fire.  —  Cape  Horn.  — In  the  Open  Pacific.  —  Fellow 
Passengers.  —  Large  Sea-Bird.  —  An  Interesting  Invalid.  — 
A  Weary  Captive.  —  A  Broken-Hearted  Mother.  —  Study  of 
the  Heavens.  —  The  Moon.  —  Chilian  Civil  War.  —  Concepcion. 

—  A  Growing  City.  —  Commercial  Importance.  —  Cultivating 
City  Gardens  on  a  New  Plan.  —  Important  Coal  Mines.  — 
Delicious  Fruits 297 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Valparaiso.  —  Principal  South  American  Port  of  the  Pacific.  — 
A  Good  Harbor.  —  Tallest  Mountain  on  this  Continent.  —  The 
Newspaper  Press.  —  Warlike  Aspect.  —  Girls  as  Car  Con- 
ductors. —  Chilian  Exports.  —  Foreign  Merchants.  —  Effects 
of  Civil  War.  —  Gambling  in  Private  Houses.  —  Immigration. 

—  Culture  of  the  Grape.  —  Agriculture.  —  Island  of  Juan 
Fernandez 315 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

The  Port  of  Callao.  —  A  Submerged  City.  —  Peruvian  Exports. 

—  A  Dirty  and  Unwholesome  Town.  —  Cinchona  Bark.  —  The 
Andes.  —  The   Llama.  —  A  National  Dance.  —  City  of  Lima. 

—  An  Old  and  Interesting  Capital.  —  Want  of  Rain.  —  Pizarro 
and  His  Crimes.  —  A  Grand  Cathedral.  —  Chilian  Soldiers.  — 
Costly  Churches  of  Peru.  — Roman  Catholic  Influence.  — Dese- 
cration of  the  Sabbath 334 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

A  Grand  Plaza.  —  Retribution.  —  The  University  of  Lima.  —  Sig- 
nificance of  Ancient  Pottery.  —  Architecture.  —  Picturesque 
Dwelling.  —  Domestic  Scene.  —  Destructive  Earthquakes.  — 
Spanish  Sway. — Women  of  Lima. — Street  Costumes.  —  An- 
cient Bridge  of  Lima.  —  Newspapers.  —  Pawnbrokers'  Shops. 
—  Exports.  —  An  Ancient  Mecca.  —  Home  by  Way  of  Europe.  356 


EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Commencement  of  a  Long  Journey.  —  The  Gulf  Stream.  —  Hayti.  — 
Sighting  St.  Thomas. — Ship  Rock.  —  Expert  Divers. — Fidgety 
Old  Lady.  —  An  Important  Island.  —  The  Old  Slaver,  —  Aborigines. 
—  St.  Thomas  Cigars.  —  Population.  —  Tri-Mountain.  —  Negro  Par- 
adise. —  Hurricances.  —  Variety  of  Fish.  —  Coaling  Ship.  —  The 
Firefly  Dane.  —  A  Weird  Scene.  — An  Antique  Anchor. 

In  starting  upon  foreign  travel,  one  drops  into  the 
familiar  routine  on  shipboard  much  after  the  same 
fashion  wherever  bound,  whether  crossing  the  Atlantic 
eastward,  or  steaming  to  the  south  through  the  waters 
of  the  Caribbean  Sea ;  whether  in  a  Peninsular  and 
Oriental  ship  in  the  Indian  Ocean,  or  on  a  White 
Star  liner  in  the  Pacific  bound  for  Japan.  The 
steward  brings  a  cup  of  hot  coffee  and  a  slice  of  dry 
toast  to  one's  cabin  soon  after  the  sun  rises,  as  a  sort 
of  eye-opener ;  and  having  swallowed  that  excellent 
stimulant,  one  feels  better  fortified  for  the  struggle 
to  dress  on  the  uneven  floor  of  a  rolling  and  pitching 
ship.  Then  comes  the  brief  promenade  on  deck  be- 
fore breakfast,  a  liberal  inhalation  of  fresh  air  insur- 
ing a  good  appetite.     There  is  no  hurry  at  this  meal. 


2  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

There  is  so  little  to  do  at  sea,  and  so  much  time  to  do 
it  in,  that  passengers  are  apt  to  linger  at  table  as  a 
pastime,  and  even  multiply  their  meals  in  number. 
As  a  rule,  we  make  up  our  mind  to  follow  some  in- 
structive course  of  reading  while  at  sea,  but,  alas !  we 
never  fulfill  the  good  resolution.  An  entire  change 
of  habits  and  associations  for  the  time  being  is  not 
favorable  to  such  a  purpose.  The  tonic  of  the  sea 
braces  one  up  to  an  unwonted  degree,  evinced  by 
great  activity  of  body  and  mind.  Favored  by  the 
unavoidable  companionship  of  individuals  in  the  cir- 
cumscribed space  of  a  ship,  acquaintances  are  formed 
which  often  ripen  into  lasting  friendship.  Inexperi- 
enced voyagers  are  apt  to  become  effusive  and  over- 
confiding,  abrupt  intimacies  and  unreasonable  dislikes 
are  of  frequent  occurrence,  and  before  the  day  of 
separation,  the  student  of  human  nature  has  seen  many 
phases  exhibited  for  his  analysis. 

Our  vessel,  the  Vigilancia,  is  a  large,  commodi- 
ous, and  well  appointed  ship,  embracing  all  the  mod- 
em appliances  for  comfort  and  safety  at  sea.  She  is 
lighted  by  electricity,  having  a  donkey  engine  which 
sets  in  motion  a  dynamo  machine,  converting  me- 
chanical energy  into  electric  energy.  Perhaps  the 
reader,  though  familiar  with  the  effect  of  this  mode  of 
lighting,  has  never  paused  to  analyze  the  very  simple 
manner  in  which  it  is  produced.  The  current  is  led 
from  the  dynamos  to  the  various  points  where  light 
is  desired  by  means  of  insulated  wires.  The  lamps 
consist  of  a  fine  thread  of  carbon  inclosed  in  a  glass 


COMMENCEMENT  OF  A   JOURNEY.  3 

bulb  from  which  air  has  been  entirely  excluded.  This 
offers  such  resistance  to  the  current  passing  through 
it  that  the  energy  is  expended  in  raising  the  carbon 
to  a  white  heat,  thus  forming  the  light.  The  pei-- 
manence  of  the  carbon  is  insured  by  the  absence  of 
oxygen.  If  the  glass  bulb  is  broken  and  atmospheric 
air  comes  in  contact  with  the  carbon,  it  is  at  once 
destroyed  by  combustion,  and  all  light  from  this  source 
ceases.  These  lamps  are  so  arranged  that  each  one 
can  be  turned  off  or  on  at  will  without  affecting  others. 
The  absence  of  offensive  smell  or  smoke,  the  steadiness 
of  the  light,  unaffected  by  the  motion  of  the  ship,  and 
its  superior  brilliancy,  all  join  to  make  this  mode  of 
lighting  a  vessel  a  positive  luxmy. 

Some  pleasant  hours  were  passed  on  board  the 
Vigilancia,  between  New  York  and  the  West  Indies, 
in  the  study  of  the  Gulf  Stream,  through  which  we 
were  sailing,  —  that  river  in  the  ocean  with  its  banks 
and  bottom  of  cold  water,  while  its  current  is  always 
warm.  Who  can  explain  the  mystery  of  its  motive 
power  ?  What  keeps  its  tepid  water,  in  a  course  of 
thousands  of  miles,  from  mingling  with  the  rest  of  the 
sea  ?  Whence  does  it  really  come  ?  The  accepted  theo- 
ries are  familiar  enough,  but  we  place  little  reliance 
upon  them,  the  statements  of  scientists  are  so  easily 
formulated,  but  often  so  difficult  to  prove.  As  Pro- 
fessor Maury  tells  us,  there  is  in  the  world  no  other 
flow  of  water  so  majestic  as  this  ;  it  has  a  course  more 
rapid  than  either  the  Mississippi  or  the  Amazon,  and  a 
volume  more  than  a  thousand  times  greater.     The  color 


4  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

of  this  remarkable  stream,  whose  fountain  is  supposed 
to  be  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and  the  Caribbean  Sea,  is  so 
deep  a  blue  off  our  southern  shore  that  the  line  of 
demarcation  from  its  surroundings  is  quite  obvious, 
the  Gidf  water  having  apparently  a  decided  reluctance 
to  mingling  with  the  rest  of  the  ocean,  a  peculiarity 
which  has  been  long  and  vainly  discussed  without  a 
satisfactory  solution  having  been  reached.  The  same 
phenomenon  has  been  observed  in  the  Pacific,  where 
the  Japanese  current  comes  up  from  the  equator, 
along  the  shore  of  that  country,  crossing  Behring's 
Sea  to  the  continent  of  North  America,  and,  turning 
southward  along  the  coast  of  California,  finally  dis- 
appears. Throughout  all  this  ocean  passage,  like  the 
Gulf  Stream  in  the  Atlantic,  it  retains  its  individ- 
uality, and  is  quite  separate  from  the  rest  of  the 
ocean.  The  fact  that  the  water  is  Salter  than  that  of 
the  Atlantic  is  by  some  supposed  to  accoimt  for  the 
indigo  blue  of  the  Gulf  Stream. 

The  temperature  of  this  water  is  carefully  taken  on 
board  all  well  regulated  ships,  and  is  recorded  in  the 
log.  On  this  voyage  it  was  found  to  vary  from  75°  to 
80°  Fahrenheit. 

Our  ship  had  touched  at  Newport  News,  Va.,  after 
leaving  New  York,  to  take  the  U.  S.  mail  on  board ; 
thence  the  course  was  south-southeast,  giving  the 
American  continent  a  wide  berth,  and  heading  for 
the  Danish  island  of  St.  Thomas,  which  lies  in  the  lati- 
tude of  Hayti,  but  a  long  way  to  the  eastward  of  that 
uninteresting  island.     We  say  uninteresting  with  due 


PEOPLE   OF  HAYTI.  5 

consideration,  though  its  history  is  vivid  enough  to 
satisfy  the  most  sensational  taste.  It  has  produced  its 
share  of  native  heroes,  as  well  as  native  traitors,  while 
the  frequent  upheavals  of  its  mingled  races  have  been 
no  less  erratic  than  destructive.  The  ignorance  and 
confusion  which  reign  among  the  masses  on  the  island 
are  deplorable.  Minister  Douglass  utterly  failed  to 
make  anything  out  of  Hayti.  The  lower  classes  of 
the  people  living  inland  come  next  to  the  inhabitants 
of  Terra  del  Fuego  in  the  scale  of  humanity,  and  are 
much  inferior  to  the  Maoris  of  New  Zealand,  or  the 
savage  tribes  of  Australia.  It  is  satisfactorily  proven 
that  cannibalism  still  exists  among  them  in  its  most 
repulsive  form,  so  revolting,  indeed,  that  we  hesitate 
to  detail  the  experience  of  a  creditable  eye-witness  re- 
lating to  this  matter,  as  personally  described  to  us. 

Upon  looking  at  the  map  it  would  seem,  to  one  un- 
accustomed to  the  ocean,  that  a  ship  could  not  lay  her 
course  direct,  in  these  island  dotted  waters,  without 
running  down  one  or  more  of  them  ;  but  the  distances 
which  are  so  circumscribed  upon  the  chart  are  ex- 
tended for  many  a  league  at  sea,  and  a  good  navigator 
may  sail  his  ship  from  New  York  to  Barbadoes,  if  he 
so  desires,  without  sighting  the  land.  Not  a  sailing 
vessel  or  steamship  was  seen,  on  the  brief  voyage  from 
tha  American  continent  to  the  West  Indies,  these 
latitudes  being  far  less  frequented  by  passenger  and 
freighting  ships  than  the  transatlantic  route  further 
north. 

It  is  quite  natural  that  the  heart  should  throb  with 


6  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

increased  animation,  the  spirits  become  more  elate,  and 
the  eyes  more  than  usually  appreciative,  when  the  land 
of  one's  destination  heaves  in  sight  after  long  days  and 
nights  passed  at  sea.  This  is  especially  the  case  if  the 
change  from  home  scenes  is  so  radical  in  all  particu- 
lars as  when  coming  from  our  bleak  Northern  States 
in  the  early  days  of  spring,  before  the  trees  have  donned 
their  leaves,  to  the  soft  temperature  and  exuberant  ver- 
dure of  the  low  latitudes.  Commencing  the  voyage 
herein  described,  the  author  left  the  Brooklyn  shore 
of  New  York  harbor  about  the  first  of  May,  during  a 
sharp  snow-squall,  though,  as  Governor's  Island  was 
passed  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  Statue  of  Liberty  on 
the  other,  the  sun  burst  forth  from  its  cloudy  envi- 
ronment, as  if  to  smile  a  cheerful  farewell.  Thus  we 
passed  out  upon  the  broad  Atlantic,  bound  southward, 
soon  feeling  its  half  suppressed  force  in  the  regular 
sway  and  roU  of  the  vessel.  She  was  heavily  laden, 
and  measured  considerably  over  four  thousand  tons, 
drawing  twenty-two  feet  of  water,  yet  she  was  like  an 
eggshell  upon  the  heaving  breast  of  the  ocean.  As 
these  mammoth  ships  lie  in  port  beside  the  wharf,  it 
seems  as  though  their  size  and  enormous  weight  would 
place  them  beyond  the  influence  of  the  wind  and 
waves :  but  the  power  of  the  latter  is  so  great  as  to 
be  beyond  computation,  and  makes  a  mere  toy  of  the 
largest  hull  that  floats.  No  one  can  realize  the  great 
strength  of  the  waves  who  has  not  watched  the  sea  in 
all  of  its  varying  moods. 

"  Land  01"  shouts  the  lookout  on  the   forecastle. 


A   DECEPTIVE  ROCK.  7 

A  wave  of  the  hand  signifies  that  the  occupant  of 
the  bridge  has  already  made  out  the  mote  far  away 
upon  the  glassy  surface  of  the  sea,  which  now  rap- 
idly grows  into  definite  form. 

When  the  mountain  which  rises  near  the  centre  of 
St.  Thomas  was  fairly  in  view  from  the  deck  of  the 
Vigilancia,  it  seemed  as  if  beckoning  us  to  its  hos- 
pitable shore.  The  light  breeze  which  fanned  the  sea 
came  from  off  the  land  flavored  with  an  odor  of  trop- 
ical vegetation,  a  suggestion  of  fragrant  blossoms,  and 
a  promise  of  luscious  fruits.  On  our  starboard  bow 
there  soon  came  into  view  the  well  known  Ship  Rock, 
which  appears,  when  seen  from  a  short  distance,  al- 
most precisely  like  a  full-rigged  ship  under  canvas. 
If  the  sky  is  clouded  and  the  atmosphere  hazy,  the 
delusion  is  remarkable. 

This  story  is  told  of  a  French  corvette  which  was 
cruising  in  these  latitudes  at  the  time  when  the  buc- 
caneers were  creating  such  havoc  with  legitimate  com- 
merce in  the  West  Indies.  It  seems  that  the  coast 
was  partially  hidden  by  a  fog,  when  the  corvette 
made  out  the  rock  through  the  haze,  and,  supposing  it 
to  be  what  it  so  much  resembles,  a  ship  under  sail,  fired 
a  gun  to  leeward  for  her  to  heave  to.  Of  course  there 
was  no  response  to  the  shot,  so  the  Frenchman  brought 
his  ship  closer,  at  the  same  time  clearing  for  action. 
Being  satisfied  that  he  had  to  do  with  a  powerful 
adversary,  he  resolved  to  obtain  the  advantage  by 
promptly  crippling  the  enemy,  and  so  discharged 
the  whole  of  his  starboard  broadside  into  the  supposed 


8  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

ship,  looming  through  the  mist.  The  fog  quietly  dis- 
persed as  the  corvette  went  about  and  prepared  to 
deliver  her  port  guns  in  a  similar  manner.  As  the 
deceptive  rock  stood  in  precisely  the  same  place  when 
the  guns  came  once  more  to  bear  upon  it,  the  true 
character  of  the  object  was  discovered.  It  is  doubtful 
whether  the  Frenchman's  surprise  or  mortification 
predominated. 

An  hour  of  steady  progress  served  to  raise  the  veil 
of  distance,  and  to  reveal  the  spacious  bay  of  Char- 
lotte Amalie,  with  its  strong  background  of  abrupt 
hills  and  dense  greenery  of  tropical  foliage.  How 
wonderfully  blue  was  the  water  round  about  the  island, 
—  an  emerald  set  in  a  sea  of  molten  sapphire !  It 
seemed  as  if  the  sky  had  been  melted  and  poured  all 
over  the  ebbing  tide.  About  the  Bahamas,  especially 
off  the  shore  at  Nassau,  the  water  is  green, — a  delicate 
bright  green  ;  here  it  exhibits  only  the  true  azure 
blue,  —  Mediterranean  blue.  It  is  seen  at  its  best  and 
in  marvelous  glow  during  the  brief  moments  of  twi- 
light, when  a  glance  of  golden  sunset  tinges  its  mottled 
surface  with  iris  hues,  like  the  opaline  flashes  from  a 
humming-bird's  throat. 

The  steamer  gradually  lost  headway,  the  vibrating 
hull  ceased  to  throb  with  the  action  of  its  motive 
power,  as  though  pausing  to  take  breath  after  long 
days  and  nights  of .  sustained  effort,  and  presently  the 
anchor  was  let  go  in  the  excellent  harbor  of  St. 
Thomas,  latitude  18°  20'  north,  longitude  64"  48' 
west.     Our  forecastle  gun,  fired  to  announce  arrival. 


EXPERT  DIVERS.  9 

awakened  the  echoes  in  the  hills,  so  that  all  seemed  to 
join  in  clapping  their  hands  to  welcome  us.  Thus 
amid  the  Norwegian  fiords  the  report  of  the  steamer's 
single  gun  becomes  a  whole  broadside,  as  it  is  rever- 
berated from  the  grim  and  rocky  elevations  which  line 
that  iron-bound  coast. 

There  was  soon  gathered  about  the  ship  a  bevy  of 
naked  colored  boys,  a  score  or  more,  jabbering  like  a 
lot  of  monkeys,  some  in  canoes  of  home  construction, 
it  would  seem,  consisting  of  a  sugar  box  sawed  in  two 
parts,  or  a  few  small  planks  nailed  together,  forming 
more  of  a  tub  than  a  boat,  and  leaking  at  every  joint. 
These  frail  floats  were  propelled  with  a  couple  of  flat 
boards  used  as  paddles.  The  young  fellows  came  out 
from  the  shore  to  dive  for  sixpences  and  shillings, 
cast  into  the  sea  by  passengers.  The  moment  a  piece 
of  silver  was  thrown,  every  canoe  was  instantly  emptied 
of  its  occupant,  all  diving  pell-mell  for  the  money. 
Presently  one  of  the  crowd  was  sure  to  come  to  the 
surface  with  the  silver  exhibited  above  his  head  between 
his  fingers,  after  which,  monkey-like,  it  was  securely 
deposited  inside  of  his  cheek.  Similar  scenes  often 
occur  in  tropical  regions.  The  last  which  the  author 
can  recall,  and  at  which  he  assisted,  was  at  Aden, 
where  the  Indian  Ocean  and  the  Red  Sea  meet.  An- 
other experience  of  the  sort  is  also  well  remembered 
as  witnessed  in  the  South  Pacific  off  the  Samoan 
islands.  On  this  occasion  the  most  expert  of  the 
natives,  among  the  naked  divers,  was  a  young  Samoan 
girl,  whose  agility  in  the  water  was  such  that  she  easily 


10  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

secured  more  than  half  the  bright  coins  which  were 
thrown  overboard,  though  a  dozen  male  competitors 
were  her  rivals  in  the  pursuit.  Nothing  but  an  otter 
could  have  excelled  this  bronzed,  unclad,  exquisitely 
formed  girl  of  Tutuila  as  a  diver  and  swimmer. 

But  let  us  not  stray  to  the  far  South  Pacific,  forget- 
ting that  we  are  all  this  time  in  the  snug  harbor  of 
St.  Thomas,  in  the  West  Indies. 

A  fidgety  old  lady  passenger,  half  hidden  in  an  ava- 
lanche of  wraps,  while  the  thermometer  indicated  80° 
Fahr.,  one  who  had  gone  into  partial  hysterics  several 
times  during  the  past  few  days,  upon  the  slightest 
provocation,  declared  that  this  was  the  worst  region 
for  hurricanes  in  the  known  world,  adding  that  there 
were  dark,  ominous  clouds  forming  to  windward  which 
she  was  sure  portended  a  cyclone.  One  might  have 
told  her  truthfully  that  May  was  not  a  hurricane 
month  in  these  latitudes,  but  we  were  just  then  too 
earnestly  engaged  in  preparing  for  a  stroU  on  shore, 
too  full  of  charming  anticipations,  to  discuss  possible 
hurricanes,  and  so,  without  giving  the  matter  any  spe- 
cial thought,  admitted  that  it  did  look  a  little  threat- 
ening in  the  northwest.  This  was  quite  enough  to 
frighten  the  old  lady  half  out  of  her  senses,  and  to 
call  the  stewardess  into  prompt  requisition,  while  the 
deck  was  soon  permeated  with  the  odor  of  camphor, 
sal  volatile,  and  valerian.  We  did  not  wait  to  see 
how  she  survived  the  attack,  but  hastened  into  a  shore 
boat  and  soon  landed  at  what  is  known  as  King's 
wharf,  when  the  temperature  seemed  instantly  to  rise 


NATIVE  GROUPS.  11 

about  twenty  degrees.  Near  the  landing  was  a  small 
plaza,  shaded  by  tall  ferns  and  cabbage  palms,  with 
here  and  there  an  umbrageous  mango.  Ladies  and 
servant  girls  were  seen  promenading  with  merry  chil- 
dren, whites  and  blacks  mingling  indiscriminately, 
while  the  Danish  military  band  were  producing  most 
shocking  strains  with  their  brass  instruments.  One 
could  hardly  conceive  of  a  more  futile  attempt  at 
harmony. 

There  is  always  something  exciting  in  first  setting 
foot  upon  a  foreign  soil,  in  mingling  with  utter  stran- 
gers, in  listening  to  the  voluble  utterances  and  jargon 
of  unfamiliar  tongues,  while  noting  the  manners,  dress, 
and  faces  of  a  new  people.  The  current  language 
of  the  mass  of  St.  Thomas  is  a  curious  compound  of 
negro  grammar,  Yankee  accent,  and  English  drawl. 
Though  somewhat  familiar  with  the  West  Indies,  the 
author  had  never  before  landed  upon  this  island. 
Everything  strikes  one  as  curious,  each  turn  affords 
increased  novelty,  and  every  moment  is  full  of  interest. 
Black,  yellow,  and  white  men  are  seen  in  groups,  the 
former  with  very  little  covering  on  their  bodies,  the 
latter  in  diaphanous  costumes.  Negresses  sporting 
high  colors  in  their  scanty  clothing,  set  off  by  rainbow 
kerchiefs  bound  round  their  heads,  turban  fashion  ; 
little  naked  blacks  with  impossible  paunches ;  here 
and  there  a  shuffling  negro  bearing  baskets  of  fish 
balanced  on  either  end  of  a  long  pole  resting  across 
his  shoulders  ;  peddlers  of  shells  and  corals ;  old  wo- 
men carrying  trays  upon  their  heads  containing  cakes 


12  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

sprinkled  with  granulated  sugar,  and  displayed  upon 
neat  linen  towels,  seeking  for  customers  among  the 
newly  arrived  passengers,  —  all  together  form  a  unique 
picture  of  local  life.  The  constantly  shifting  scene 
moves  before  the  observer  like  a  panorama  unrolled 
for  exhibition,  seeming  quite  as  theatrical  and  arti- 
ficial. 

St.  Thomas  is  one  of  the  Danish  West  Indian  Islands, 
of  which  there  are  three  belonging  to  Denmark,  namely, 
St.  Thomas,  St.  Croix,  and  St.  John.  For  the  posses- 
sion of  the  first  named  Mr.  Seward,  when  Secretary 
of  State,  in  1866,  offered  the  King  of  Denmark  five 
million  doUars  in  gold,  which  proposition  was  finally 
accepted,  and  it  would  have  been  a  cheap  purchase  for 
us  at  that  price ;  but  after  all  detail  had  been  duly 
agreed  upon,  the  United  States  Congress  refused  to 
vote  the  necessary  funds  wherewith  to  pay  for  the  title 
deed.  So  when  Mr.  Seward  consummated  the  pur- 
chase of  Alaska,  for  a  little  over  seven  million  dollars, 
there  were  nearly  enough  of  the  small-fry  politicians 
in  Congress  to  defeat  the  bargain  with  Russia  in  the 
same  manner.  The  income  from  the  lease  of  two  is- 
lands alone  belonging  to  Alaska  —  St.  George  and  St. 
Paul  —  has  paid  four  and  one  half  per  cent,  per  annum 
upon  the  purchase  money  ever  since  the  territory  came 
into  our  possession.  Thsre  is  one  gold  mine  on  Douglas 
Island,  Alaska,  not  to  mention  its  other  rich  and  in- 
exhaustible products,  for  which  a  French  syndicate 
has  offered  fourteen  million  dollars.  We  doubt  if  St. 
Thomas  could  be  purchased  from  the  Danes  to-day  for 


IMPORTANCE   OF  ST.    THOMAS.  18 

ten  million  dollars,  while  the  estimated  value  of  Alaska 
would  be  at  least  a  hundred  million  or  more,  with  its 
vast  mineral  wealth,  its  invaluable  salmon  fisheries,  its 
inexhaustible  forests  of  giant  timber,  and  its  abun- 
dance of  seal,  otter,  and  other  rich  furs.  A  penny- 
wise  and  pound-foolish  Congress  made  a  huge  mistake 
in  opposing  Mr.  Seward's  purpose  as  regarded  the 
purchase  of  St.  Thomas.  The  strategic  position  of 
the  island  is  quite  sufficient  to  justify  our  government 
in  wishing  to  possess  it,  for  it  is  geographically  the 
keystone  of  the  West  Indies.  The  principal  object 
which  Mr.  Seward  had  in  view  was  to  secure  a  coaling 
and  refitting  station  for  our  national  ships  in  time  of 
war,  for  which  St.  Thomas  would  actually  be  worth 
more  than  the  island  of  Cuba.  Opposite  to  it  is  the 
continent  of  Africa  ;  equidistant  are  the  eastern  shores 
of  North  and  South  America ;  on  one  side  is  western 
Europe,  on  the  other  the  route  to  India  and  the  Pa- 
cific Ocean;  in  the  rear  are  Central  America,  the 
West  Indies,  and  Mexico,  together  with  those  great 
inland  bodies  of  salt  water,  the  Caribbean  Sea  and 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  It  requires  no  argmnent  to  show 
how  important  the  possession  of  such  an  outpost  might 
prove  to  this  country. 

Since  these  notes  were  written,  it  is  currently  re- 
ported that  our  government  has  once  more  awakened 
to  the  necessity  of  obtaining  possession  of  this  island, 
and  fresh  negotiations  have  been  entered  into.  One 
thing  is  very  certain,  if  we  do  not  seize  the  opportunity 
to  purchase  St.  Thomas  at  the  present  time,  England, 


14  EQUATORIAL   AMERICA. 

or  some  other  important  power,  will  promptly  do  so, 
to  our  serious  detriment  and  just  mortification. 

St.  Thomas  has  an  area  of  nearly  fifty  square  miles, 
and  supports  a  population  of  about  fourteen  thousand. 
In  many  respects  the  capital  is  imique,  and  being  our 
first  landing-place  after  leaving  home,  was  of  more 
than  ordinary  interest  to  the  writer.  The  highest 
point  on  the  island,  which  comes  first  into  view  from 
the  deck  of  a  southern  bound  steamer,  is  West  Moun- 
tain, rising  sixteen  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of 
the  surrounding  waters.  Geologists  would  describe 
St.  Thomas  as  being  the  top  of  a  small  chain  of  sub- 
merged mountains,  which  would  be  quite  correct,  since 
the  topography  of  the  bottom  of  the  sea  is  but  a  coun- 
terpart of  that  upon  the  more  familiar  surface  of  the 
earth  we  occupy.  When  ocean  electric  cables  for 
connecting  islands  and  continents  are  laid,  engineers 
find  that  there  are  the  same  sort  of  plains,  mountains, 
valleys,  and  gorges  beneath  as  above  the  waters  of  the 
ocean.  The  skeletons  of  whales,  and  natural  beds 
of  deep-sea  shells,  found  in  valleys  and  hills  many 
hundred  feet  above  the  present  level  of  tide  waters, 
tell  us  plainly  enough  that  in  the  long  ages  which 
have  passed,  the  diversified  surface  of  the  earth  which 
we  now  behold  has  changed  places  with  these  sub- 
merged regions,  which  probably  once  formed  the  dry 
land.  The  history  of  the  far  past  is  full  of  instances 
showing  the  slow  but  continuous  retreat  of  the  water 
from  the  land  in  certain  regions  and  its  encroach- 
ment in  others,  the  drying  up  of  lakes  and  rivers,  as 


A   LAND-LOCKED  HARBOR.  15 

well  as  the  upheaval  of  single  islands  and  groups  from 
the  bed  of  the  ocean. 

A  range  of  dome-shaped  hills  runs  through  the  en- 
tire length  of  this  island  of  St.  Thomas,  fifteen  miles 
from  west  to  east,  being  considerably  highest  at  the 
west  end.  As  we  passed  between  the  two  headlands 
which  mark  the  entrance  to  the  harbor,  the  town  was 
seen  spread  over  three  hills  of  nearly  uniform  height, 
also  occupying  the  gentle  valleys  between.  Two  stone 
structures,  on  separate  hills,  form  a  prominent  fea- 
ture ;  these  are  known  respectively  as  Blue  Beard  and 
Black  Beard  tower,  but  their  origin  is  a  myth,  though 
there  are  plenty  of  legends  extant  about  them.  Both 
are  now  utilized  as  residences,  having  mostly  lost  their 
original  crudeness  and  picturesque  appearance.  The 
town,  as  a  whole,  forms  a  pleasing  and  effective  back- 
ground to  the  land-locked  bay,  which  is  large  enough 
to  afford  safe  anchorage  for  two  hundred  ships  at  the 
same  time,  except  when  a  hurricane  prevails ;  then  the 
safest  place  for  shipping  is  as  far  away  from  the  land 
as  possible.  It  is  a  busy  port,  considering  the  small 
number  of  inhabitants,  steamers  arriving  and  depart- 
ing constantly,  besides  many  small  coasting  vessels 
which  ply  between  this  and  the  neighboring  islands. 
St.  Thomas  is  certainly  the  most  available  commer- 
cially of  the  Virgin  group  of  islands.  Columbus 
named  them  "Las  Vergines,"  in  reference  to  the 
familiar  Romish  legend  of  the  eleven  thousand  virgins, 
about  as  inappropriate  a  title  as  the  fable  it  refers  to 
is  ridiculous. 


16  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

Close  in  shore,  at  the  time  of  our  visit,  there  lay  a 
schooner-rigged  craft  of  more  than  ordinary  interest, 
her  jaunty  set  upon  the  water,  her  gracefid  lines,  tall, 
raking  masts,  and  long  bowsprit  suggesting  the  model 
of  the  famous  old  Baltimore  clippers.  There  is  a 
fascinating  individuality  about  sailing-vessels  which 
does  not  attach  to  steamships.  Seamen  form  roman- 
tic attachments  for  the  former.  The  officers  and  crew 
of  the  Vigilancia  were  observed  to  cast  admiring  eyes 
upon  this  handsome  schooner,  anchored  under  our  lee. 
A  sort  of  mysterious  quiet  hung  about  her;  every 
rope  was  hauled  taut,  made  fast,  and  the  slack  neatly 
coiled.  Her  anchor  was  atrip,  that  is,  the  cable  was 
hove  short,  showing  that  she  was  ready  to  sail  at  a 
moment's  notice.  The  only  person  visible  on  board 
was  a  bareheaded,  white-haired  old  seaman,  who  sat 
on  the  transom  near  the  wheel,  quietly  smoking  his 
pipe.  On  inquiry  it  was  found  that  the  schooner  had 
a  notable  history  and  bore  the  name  of  the  Vigilant, 
having  been  first  launched  a  hundred  and  thirty  years 
ago.  It  appeared  that  she  was  a  successful  slaver  in 
former  days,  running  between  the  coast  of  Africa  and 
these  islands.  She  was  twice  captured  by  English 
cruisers,  but  somehow  found  her  way  back  again  to 
the  old  and  nefarious  business.  Of  course,  she  had 
been  overhauled,  repaired,  and  re-rigged  many  times, 
but  it  is  still  the  same  old  frame  and  hull  that  so  often 
made  the  middle  passage,  as  it  was  called.  To-day 
she  serves  as  a  mail-boat  running  between  Santa  Cruz 
and   St.   Thomas,  and,   it   is   said,  can  make  forty 


THE  SUGAR-CANE.  17 

leagues,  with  a  fair  wind,  as  quick  as  any  steamer  on 
the  coast.  The  same  evening  the  Vigilant  spread  her 
broad  white  wings  and  glided  silently  out  of  the  harbor, 
gathering  rapid  way  as  she  passed  its  entrance,  until 
feeling  the  spur  of  the  wind  and  the  open  sea,  she 
quickly  vanished  from  sight.  It  was  easy  to  imagine 
her  bound  upon  her  old  piratical  business,  screened  by 
the  shadows  of  the  night. 

Though  it  no  longer  produces  a  single  article  of 
export  on  its  own  soil,  St.  Thomas  was,  in  the  days  of 
negro  slavery,  one  of  the  most  prolific  sugar  yielding 
islands  of  this  region.  It  will  be  remembered  that  the 
emg,ncipation  of  the  blacks  took  place  here  in  1848. 
It  was  never  before  impressed  upon  us,  if  we  were 
aware  of  the  fact,  that  the  sugar-cane  is  not  indige- 
nous to  the  West  Indies.  It  seems  that  the  plant  came 
originally  from  Asia,  and  was  introduced  into  these 
islands  by  Columbus  and  his  followers.  As  is  often 
the  case  with  other  representatives  of  the  vegetable 
kingdom,  it  appears  to  have  flourished  better  here 
than  in  the  land  of  its  nativity,  new  climatic  com- 
binations, together  with  the  soil,  developing  in  the 
saccharine  plant  better  qualities  and  increased  pro- 
ductiveness, for  a  long  series  of  years  enriching  many 
enterprising  planters. 

When  Columbus  discovered  St.  Thomas,  in  1493, 
it  was  inhabited  by  two  tribes  of  Indians,  the  Caribs 
and  the  Arrowauks,  both  of  which  soon  disappeared 
under  the  oppression  and  hardships  imposed  by  the 
Spaniards.     It  is  also  stated  that  from  this  island,  as 


18  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

well  as  from  Cuba  and  Hayti,  many  natives  were 
transported  to  Spain  and  there  sold  into  slavery,  in 
the  days  following  close  upon  its  discovery.  Thus 
Spain,  from  the  earliest  date,  characterized  her  oper- 
ations in  the  New  World  by  a  heartlessness  and  in- 
justice which  ever  attended  upon  her  conquests,  both 
among  the  islands  and  upon  the  continent  of  Amer- 
ica. The  Caribs  were  of  the  red  Indian  race,  and 
appear  to  have  been  addicted  to  cannibalism.  In- 
deed, the  veiy  word,  by  which  the  surrounding  sea  is 
also  known,  is  supposed  to  be  a  corruption  of  the 
name  of  this  tribe.  "These  Caribs  did  not  eat  their 
own  babies,"  says  an  old  writer  apologetically,  "Hke 
some  sorts  of  wild  beasts,  but  only  roasted  and  ate 
their  prisoners  of  war." 

The  island  was  originally  covered  with  a  dense  for- 
est growth,  but  is  now  comparatively  denuded  of  trees, 
leaving  the  land  open  to  the  full  force  of  the  sun,  and 
causing  it  to  suffer  at  times  from  serious  droughts. 
There  is  said  to  be  but  one  natural  spring  of  water 
on  the  island.  This  shows  itself  at  the  surface,  and 
is  of  very  limited  capacity;  the  scanty  rains  which 
occur  here  are  almost  entirely  depended  upon  to  sup- 
ply water  for  domestic  use. 

St.  Thomas  being  so  convenient  a  port  of  call  for 
steamers  from  Europe  and  America,  and  having  so 
excellent  a  harbor,  is  improved  as  a  depot  for  merchan- 
dise by  several  of  the  neighboring  islands,  thus  enjoy- 
ing a  considerable  commerce,  though  it  is  only  in  tran- 
situ.    It  is  also  the  regular  coaling  station  of  several 


SMUGGLING.  19 

steamship  lines.  Judging  from  appearances,  however, 
it  would  seem  that  the  town  is  not  growing  in  popula- 
tion or  business  relations,  but  is  rather  retrograding. 
The  value  of  the  imports  in  1880  was  less  than  half 
the  aggregate  amount  of  1870.  We  were  told  that 
green  groceries  nearly  all  come  from  the  United 
States,  and  that  even  eggs  and  poultry  are  imported 
from  the  neighboring  islands,  showing  an  improvi- 
dence on  the  part  of  the  people  difficult  to  account 
for,  since  these  sources  of  food  supply  can  be  profita- 
bly produced  at  almost  any  spot  upon  the  earth  where 
vegetation  will  grow.  Cigars  are  brought  hither  from 
Havana  in  considerable  quantities,  and  having  no 
duty  to  pay,  can  be  sold  very  cheap  by  the  dealers 
at  St.  Thomas,  and  still  afford  a  reasonable  profit. 
Quite  a  trade  is  thus  carried  on  with  the  passengers 
of  the  several  steamers  which  call  here  regularly,  and 
travelers  avail  themselves  of  the  opportunity  to  lay 
in  an  ample  supply.  Cuban  cigars  of  the  quality 
which  would  cost  nine  or  ten  dollars  a  hundred  in 
Boston  are  sold  at  St.  Thomas  for  five  or  six  dollars, 
and  lower  grades  even  cheaper  in  proportion.  There 
is  said  to  be  considerable  smuggling  successfully  car- 
ried on  between  this  island  and  the  Florida  shore,  in 
the  article  of  cigars  as  well  as  in  tobacco  in  the  un- 
manufactured state.  The  high  duty  on  these  has 
always  incited  to  smuggling,  thus  defeating  the  very 
object  for  which  it  is  imposed.  Probably  a  moderate 
duty  would  yield  more  to  the  government  in  the  ag- 
gregate, by  rendering  it  so  much  less  of  an  object  to 
smuggle. 


20  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

Though  the  island  is  Danish  in  nationality,  there 
are  few  surroundings  calculated  to  recall  the  fact,  save 
that  the  flag  of  that  country  floats  over  the  old  fort 
and  the  one  or  two  official  buildings,  just  as  it  has 
done  for  the  last  two  centuries.  The  prominent  offi- 
cials are  Danes,  as  well  as  the  officers  of  the  small 
body  of  soldiers  maintained  on  the  island.  English 
is  almost  exclusively  spoken,  though  there  are  French, 
Spanish,  and  Italian  residents  here.  English  is  also 
the  language  taught  in  the  public  schools.  People 
have  come  here  to  make  what  money  they  can,  but 
with  the  fixed  purpose  of  spending  it  and  enjoying  it 
elsewhere.  As  a  rule,  all  Europeans  who  come  to 
the  West  Indies  and  embark  in  business  do  so  with 
exactly  this  purpose.  In  Cuba  the  Spaniards  from 
the  continent,  among  whom  are  many  Jews,  have  a 
proverb  the  significance  of  which  is:  "Ten  years  of 
starvation,  and  a  fortune,"  and  most  of  them  live  up 
to  this  axiom.  They  leave  all  principles  of  honor, 
all  sense  of  moral  responsibility,  all  sacred  domestic 
ties,  behind  them,  forgetting,  or  at  least  ignoring,  the 
significant  query,  namely,  "  What  shall  it  profit  a  man, 
if  he  gain  the  whole  world,  and  lose  his  own  soul?" 

About  one  third  of  the  population  is  Roman  Cath- 
olic. The  Jews  have  a  synagogue,  and  a  membership 
of  six  hundred.  They  have  a  record  on  the  island 
dating  as  far  back  as  the  year  1757,  and  add  much 
to  the  activity  and  thrift  of  St.  Thomas.  No  matter 
where  we  find  the  Jews,  in  Mexico,  Warsaw,  Califor- 
nia, or  the  West  Indies,  they  are  all  alike  intent  upon 


SOCIAL   LIFE.  21 

money  making,  and  are  nearly  always  successful. 
Their  irrepressible  energy  wins  for  them  the  goal  for 
which  they  so  earnestly  strive.  That  soldier  of  for- 
time,  Santa  Anna,  formerly  ruler  of  Mexico,  when 
banished  as  a  traitor  from  his  native  country,  made 
his  home  on  this  island,  and  the  house  which  he  built 
and  occupied  is  still  pointed  out  to  visitors  as  one  of 
the  local  curiosities.  The  social  life  of  St.  Thomas  is 
naturally  very  circumscribed,  but  is  good  so  far  as  it 
goes.  A  few  cultured  people,  who  have  made  it  their 
home  for  some  years,  have  become  sincerely  attached 
to  the  place,  and  enjoy  the  climate.  There  are  a  small 
public  library,  a  hospital,  several  charitable  institu- 
tions, and  a  theatre,  which  is  occupied  semi-occasion- 
ally.  The  island  is  connected  with  the  continent  by 
cable,  and  has  a  large  floating  dock  and  marine  rail- 
way, which  causes  vessels  in  distress  to  visit  the  port 
for  needed  repairs.  The  town  is  situated  on  the  north 
side  of  the  bay  which  indents  the  middle  of  the  south 
side  of  the  island.  The  harbor  has  a  depth  of  water 
varying  from  eighteen  to  thirty-six  feet,  and  has  the 
advantage  of  being  a  free  port,  a  fact,  perhaps,  of 
not  much  account  to  a  place  which  has  neither  ex- 
ports nor  imports  of  its  own.  St.  Thomas  is  the 
only  town  of  any  importance  on  the  island,  and  is 
known  locally  as  Charlotte  Amalie,  a  fact  which  some- 
times leads  to  a  confusion  of  ideas. 

The  reader  need  not  encounter  the  intense  heat, 
which  so  nearly  wilted  us,  in  an  effort  to  obtain  a 
good  lookout  from  some  elevated  spot;  but  the  result 


22  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

will  perhaps  interest  him,  as  it  fully  repaid  the  writer 
for  all  the  consequent  discomfort. 

From  the  brow  of  a  moderate  elevation  just  behind 
the  town,  a  delightful  and  far-reaching  view  is  af- 
forded, embracing  St.  Thomas  in  the  foreground,  the 
well-sheltered  bay,  dotted  with  vessels  bearing  the 
flags  of  various  nations,  an  archipelago  of  islets  scat- 
tered over  the  near  waters,  and  numerous  small  bays 
indenting  the  coast.  At  a  distance  of  some  forty 
miles  across  the  sea  looms  the  island  of  Santa  Cruz; 
and  farther  away,  on  the  horizon's  most  distant  limit, 
are  seen  the  tall  hills  and  mountains  of  Porto  Rico; 
while  the  sky  is  fringed  by  a  long  trailing  plume  of 
smoke,  indicating  the  course  of  some  passing  steam- 
ship. The  three  hills  upon  which  the  town  stands  are 
spurs  of  West  Mountain,  and  the  place  is  quite  as 
well  entitled  to  the  name  of  Tremont — "  tri -moun- 
tain " —  as  was  the  capital  of  Massachusetts,  before 
its  hills  were  laid  low  to  accommodate  business  de- 
mands. On  the  seaward  side  of  these  elevations  the 
red  tiled  roofs  of  the  white  houses  rise  in  regidar  ter- 
races from  the  street  which  borders  the  harbor,  form- 
ing a  very  picturesque  group  as  seen  from  the  bay. 

Though  it  has  not  often  been  visited  by  epidemics, 
Mr.  Anthony  Trollope  pronounces  the  island,  in  his 
usual  irresponsible  way,  to  be  "one  of  the  hottest  and 
one  of  the  most  unhealthy  spots  among  all  these  hot 
and  unhealthy  regions,"  and  adds  that  he  would  per- 
haps be  justified  in  saying  "that  of  all  such  spots  it 
is  the  hottest  and  most  unhealthy."     This  is  calcu- 


ATTACKING  SHARKS.  23 

lated  to  give  an  incorrect  idea  of  St.  Thomas.  True, 
it  is  liable  to  periods  of  unhealthiness,  when  a  spe- 
cies of  low  fever  prevails,  proving  more  or  less  fatal. 
This  is  thought  to  originate  from  the  surface  drainage, 
and  the  miasma  arising  from  the  bay.  All  the  drains 
of  the  town  flow  into  the  waters  of  the  harbor,  which 
has  not  sufficient  flow  of  tide  to  carry  seaward  the 
foul  matter  thus  accumulated.  The  hot  sun  pouring 
its  heat  down  upon  this  tainted  water  causes  a  dan- 
gerous exhalation.  Still,  sharks  do  not  seem  to  be 
sensitive  as  to  tliis  matter,  for  they  much  abound.  It 
is  yet  to  be  discovered  why  these  tigers  of  the  sea  do 
not  attack  the  negroes,  who  fearlessly  leap  overboard ; 
a  white  man  could  not  do  this  with  impunity.  The 
Asiatics  of  the  Malacca  Straits  do  not  enjoy  any  such 
immunity  from  danger,  though  they  have  skins  as  dark 
as  the  divers  of  St.  Thomas.  Sharks  appear  in  the 
West  Indies  in  smal^  schools,  or  at  least  there  are 
nearly  always  two  or  three  together,  but  in  Oriental 
waters  they  are  only  seen  singly.  Thus  a  Malay  of 
Singapore,  for  a  compensation,  say  an  English  sover- 
eign, will  place  a  long,  sharp  knife  between  his  teeth 
and  leap  naked  into  the  sea  to  attack  a  shark.  He 
adroitly  dives  beneath  the  creature,  and  as  it  turns 
its  body  to  bring  its  awkward  mouth  into  use,  with 
his  knife  the  Malay  slashes  a  deep,  long  opening  in 
its  exposed  beUy,  at  the  same  time  forcing  himself  out 
of  the  creature's  reach.  The  knife  is  sure  and  fatal. 
After  a  few  moments  the  huge  body  of  the  fish  is  seen 
to  rise  and  float  lifeless  upon  the  surface  of  the  water. 


i54  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

A  large  majority  of  the  people  are  colored,  exhibit- 
ing some  peculiarly  interesting  types,  intermarriage 
with  whites  of  various  nationalities  having  produced 
among  the  descendants  of  Africans  many  changes  of 
color  and  of  features.     One  feels  sure  that  there  is 
also  a  trace  of  Carib  or  Indian  blood  mingled  with 
the  rest,  —  a  trace  of  the  aborigines  whom  Columbus 
found  here.     The  outcome  is  not  entirely  a  race  with 
flat  noses  and  protruding  lips ;  straight  Grecian  pro- 
files are  not  uncommon,  accompanied  by  thin  nostrils 
and   Anglo-Saxon   lips.     Faultless   teeth,    soft   blue 
eyes,  and  hair  nearly  straight  are  sometimes  met  with 
among  the  Creoles.     As  to  the  style  of  walking  and 
of  carrying  the  head  and  body,  the  common  class  of 
women  of  St.   Thomas  have   arrived  at  perfection. 
Some  of   them  are  notable  examples  of  unconscious 
dignity  and  grace  combined.     This  has  been  brought 
about  by  carrying  burdens  ujjon  their   heads   from 
childhood,  without  the  supporting  aid  of  the  hands. 
Modesty,  or  rather  conventionality,  does  not  require 
boys  or  girls  under  eight  years  of  age  to  encumber 
themselves  with  clothing.    The  costume  of  the  market 
women  and  the  lower  classes  generally  is  picturesque, 
composed  of  a  Madras  kerchief  carefully  twisted  into 
a   turban   of  many  colors,  yellow  predominating,  a 
cotton  chemise  which  leaves  the  neck  and  shoulders 
exposed,  reaching  just  below  the  knees,  the  legs  and 
feet  being  bare.    The  men  wear  cotton  drawers  reach- 
ing nearly  to  the  knee,  the  rest  of  the  body  being  un- 
covered, except  the  head,  which  is  usually  sheltered 


TROPICAL  FERTILITY.  25 

under  a  broad  brimmed  straw  hat,  the  sides  of  which 
are  perforated  by  many  ventilating  holes.  The  whites 
generally,  and  also  the  better  class  of  natives,  dress 
very  much  after  the  fashion  which  prevails  in  North 
America. 

This  is  the  negroes'  paradise,  but  it  is  a  climate  in 
which  the  white  race  gradually  wanes.  The  heat  of 
the  tropics  is  modified  by  the  constant  and  grateful 
trade  winds,  a  most  merciful  dispensation,  without 
which  the  West  Indies  would  be  uninhabitable  by 
man.  On  the  hillsides  of  St.  Thomas  these  winds 
insure  cool  nights  at  least,  and  a  comparatively  tem- 
perate state  of  the  atmosphere  during  the  day.  Veg- 
etation is  abimdant,  the  fruit-trees  are  perennial,  bear- 
ing leaf,  blossom,  and  fruit  in  profusion,  month  after 
month,  year  after  year.  Little,  if  any,  cultivation  is 
required.  The  few  sugar  plantations  which  are  still 
carried  on  yield  from  three  to  four  successive  years 
without  replanting.  It  is  a  notable  fact  that  where 
vegetation  is  at  its  best,  where  the  soil  is  most  rank 
and  prolific,  where  fruits  and  flowers  grow  in  wild 
exuberance,  elevated  humanity  thrives  the  least.  The 
lower  the  grade  of  man,  the  nearer  he  approximates  to 
the  animals,  the  less  civilized  he  is  in  mind  and  body, 
the  better  he  appears  to  be  adapted  to  such  localities. 
The  birds  and  the  butterflies  are  in  exact  harmony 
with  the  loveliness  of  tropical  nature,  however  prolific 
she  may  be;  the  flowers  are  glorious  and  beautiful: 
it  is  man  alone  who  seems  out  of  place.  A  great 
variety  of  fruits  are   indigenous  here,  such   as  the 


26  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

orange,  lime,  alligator  pear,  moss-apple,  and  mango, 
but  none  of  them  are  cultivated  to  any  extent;  the 
people  seem  to  lack  the  energy  requisite  to  improve 
the  grand  possibilities  of  their  fertile  soil  and  prolific 
climate. 

We  were  reminded  by  a  resident  of  the  town, 
before  we  left  the  harbor  of  St.  Thomas,  that  the  ner- 
vous old  lady  referred  to  was  not  entirely  without  rea- 
son for  her  anxiety.  Some  of  our  readers  will  remem- 
ber, perhaps,  that  in  October,  1867,  a  most  disastrous 
hurricane  swept  over  these  Virgin  Islands,  leaving 
widespread  desolation  in  its  track.  The  shipping 
which  happened  to  be  in  the  bay  of  St.  Thomas  was 
nearly  all  destroyed,  together  with  hundreds  of  lives, 
while  on  the  land  scores  of  houses  and  many  lives  were 
also  sacrificed  to  the  terrible  cyclone  of  that  date. 
Even  the  thoroughly  built  iron  and  stone  lighthouse 
was  completely  obliterated.  There  is  a  theory  that 
such  visitations  come  in  this  region  about  once  in 
every  twelve  or  fifteen  years,  and  upon  looking  up  the 
matter  we  find  them  to  have  occurred,  with  more  or 
less  destructive  force,  in  the  years  1793,  1819,  1837, 
1867,  1871,  and  so  late  as  August,  1891.  Other  hur- 
ricanes have  passed  over  these  islands  during  the  pe- 
riod covered  by  these  dates,  but  of  a  mitigated  char- 
acter. August,  September,  and  October  are  the 
months  in  which  the  hurricanes  are  most  likely  to 
occur,  and  all  vessels  navigating  the  West  Indian  seas 
during  these  months  take  extra  precautions  to  secure 
themselves  against  accidents  from  this  source.    When 


HEROISM  DURING  A   CYCLONE.  27 

such  visitations  happen,  the  event  is  sure  to  develop 
heroic  deeds.  In  the  hurricane  of  1867,  the  captain 
of  a  Spanish  man-of-war,  who  was  a  practical  sailor, 
brought  up  from  boyhood  upon  the  ocean,  seeing  the 
oncoming  cyclone,  and  knowing  by  experience  what  to 
expect,  ordered  the  masts  of  his  vessel  to  be  cut  away 
at  once,  and  every  portion  of  exposed  top  hamper  to 
be  cast  into  the  sea.  When  thus  stripped  he  exposed 
little  but  the  bare  hull  of  his  steamer  to  the  fury 
of  the  storm.  After  the  cyclone  had  passed,  it  was 
found  that  he  had  not  lost  a  man,  and  that  the  steam- 
er's hull,  though  severely  battered,  was  substantially 
unharmed.  Keeping  up  all  steam  during  the  awful 
scene,  this  captain  devoted  himself  and  his  ship  to  the 
saving  of  human  life,  promptly  taking  his  vessel  wher- 
ever he  could  be  of  the  most  service.  Himdreds  of 
seamen  were  saved  from  death  by  the  coolness  and 
intrepidity  of  this  heroic  sailor. 

Since  these  notes  were  written  among  the  islands, 
a  terrible  cyclone  has  visited  them.  This  was  on 
August  18,  last  past,  and  proved  more  destructive  to 
human  life,  to  marine  and  other  property,  than  any 
occurrence  of  the  kind  during  the  last  century.  At 
Martinique  a  sharp  shock  of  earthquake  added  to  the 
horror  of  the  occasion,  the  town  of  Fort  de  France 
being  very  nearly  leveled  with  the  ground.  Many  tall 
and  noble  palms,  the  growth  of  half  a  hundred  years, 
were  utterly  demolished  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye, 
and  other  trees  were  uprooted  by  the  score. 

The  waters  of  this  neighborhood  teem  with  strange 


28  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

forms  of  animal  and  vegetable  life.  Here  we  saw 
specimens  of  red  and  blue  snappers,  the  angel-fish, 
king-fish,  gurnets,  cow-fish,  whip-ray,  peacock-fish, 
zebra-fish,  and  so  on,  aU,  or  nearly  all,  unfamiliar  to 
us,  each  species  individualized  either  in  shape,  color, 
or  both.  The  whip-ray,  with  a  body  like  a  flounder, 
has  a  tail  six  or  seven  feet  long,  tapering  from  an  inch 
and  over  to  less  than  a  quarter  of  an  inch  at  the  small 
end.  When  dried,  it  still  retains  a  degree  of  elasti- 
city, and  is  used  by  the  natives  as  a  whip  with  which  to 
drive  horses  and  donkeys.  In  some  places,  so  singu- 
larly clear  is  the  water  that  the  bottom  is  distinctly 
visible  five  or  six  fathoms  below  the  surface,  where 
fishes  of  various  sorts  are  seen  in  ceaseless  motion. 
White  shells,  corals,  star-fish,  and  sea-urchins  mingle 
their  various  forms  and  colors,  objects  and  hues  seem- 
ing to  be  intensified  by  the  strong  reflected  light  from 
the  surface,  so  that  one  could  easily  fancy  them  to  be 
flowers  blooming  in  the  fairy  gardens  of  the  mermaids. 
The  early  morning,  just  after  the  sun  begins  to  gild 
the  surface  of  the  sea,  is  the  favorite  time  for  the  fly- 
ing-fishes to  display  their  aerial  proclivities.  They 
are  always  attracted  by  a  strong  light,  and  are  thus 
lured  to  their  destruction  by  the  torches  of  the  fisher- 
men, who  often  go  out  for  the  purpose  at  night  and 
take  them  in  nets.  In  the  early  morning,  as  seen 
from  the  ship's  deck,  they  scoot  above  the  rippling 
waves  in  schools  of  a  hundred  and  more,  so  compact 
as  to  cast  fleeting  shadows  over  the  blue  enameled 
surface  of  the  waters.     At  St.  Thomas,  Martinique, 


A  COALING  STATION.  29 

and  Barbadoes,  as  well  as  among  the  other  islands 
bordering  the  Caribbean  Sea,  they  form  no  inconsid- 
erable source  of  food  for  the  humble  natives,  who  fry 
them  in  batter  mixed  with  onions,  making  a  savory 
and  nutritious  dish. 

St.  Thomas  is,  as  we  have  said,  a  coaling  station 
for  steamships,  and  when  the  business  is  in  progress 
a  most  unique  picture  is  presented.  The  ship  is 
moored  alongside  of  the  dock  for  this  purpose,  two 
side  ports  being  thrown  open,  one  for  ingress,  the 
other  for  egress.  A  hundred  women  and  girls,  wear- 
ing one  scanty  garment  reaching  to  the  knees,  are  in 
line,  and  commence  at  once  to  trot  on  board  in  sin- 
gle file,  each  one  bearing  a  bushel  basket  of  coal  upon 
her  head,  weighing,  say  sixty  poimds.  Another  gang 
fill  empty  baskets  where  the  coal  is  stored,  so  that 
there  is  a  continuous  line  of  negresses  trotting  into 
the  ship  at  one  port  and,  after  dumping  their  loads  into 
the  coal  bunkers,  out  at  the  other,  hastening  back 
to  the  source  of  supply  for  more.  Their  step  is  quick, 
their  pose  straight  as  an  arrow,  while  their  feet  keep 
time  to  a  wild  chant  in  which  all  join,  the  purport  of 
which  it  is  not  possible  to  clearly  understand.  Now 
and  again  their  voices  rise  in  softly  mingled  harmony, 
floating  very  sweetly  over  the  still  waters  of  the  bay. 
The  scene  we  describe  occurred  at  night,  but  the  moon 
had  not  yet  risen.  Along  the  wharf,  to  the  coal  de- 
posits, iron  frames  were  erected  containing  burning 
bituminous  coal,  and  the  blaze,  fanned  by  the  open 
air,  formed  the  light  by  which  the  women  worked. 


80  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

It  was  a  weird  picture.  Everything  seemed  quite  in 
harmony:  the  hour,  the  darkness  of  night  relieved 
by  the  flaming  brackets  of  coal,  the  strange,  dark 
figures  hastening  into  the  glare  of  light  and  quickly 
vanishing,  the  harmony  of  high-pitched  voices  occa- 
sionally broken  in  upon  by  the  sharp,  stern  voice  of 
their  leader,  —  all  was  highly  dramatic  and  effective. 

Not  unfrequently  three  or  four  steamers  are  coaling 
at  the  same  time  from  different  wharves.  Hundreds 
of  women  and  girls  of  St.  Thomas  make  this  labor 
their  special  occupation,  and  gain  a  respectable  living 
by  it,  doubtless  supporting  any  number  of  lazy,  worth- 
less husbands,  fathers,  and  brothers. 

After  our  ship  was  supplied  with  coal,  these  women, 
having  put  three  hundred  tons  on  board  in  a  surpris- 
ingly short  period  of  time,  formed  a  group  upon  the 
wharf  and  held  what  they  called  a  firefly  dance,  in- 
describably quaint  and  grotesque,  performed  by  the 
flickering  light  of  the  flaming  coal.  Their  voices 
were  joined  in  a  wild,  quick  chant,  as  they  twisted  and 
turned,  clapping  their  hands  at  intervals  to  empha- 
size the  chorus.  Now  and  again  a  couple  of  the  girls 
would  separate  from  the  rest  for  a  moment,  then  dance 
toward  and  from  each  other,  throwing  their  arms 
wildly  about  their  heads,  and  finally,  gathering  their 
scanty  drapery  in  one  hand  and  extending  the  other, 
perform  a  movement  similar  to  the  French  cancan. 
Once  more  springing  back  among  their  companions, 
all  joined  hands,  and  a  roundabout  romp  closed  the 
firefly  dance.     Could  such  a  scene  be  produced  in  a 


ANCIENT  ANCHOR.  31 

city  theatre  au  naturel.,  with  proper  accessories  and 
by  these  actual  performers,  it  would  surely  prove  an 
attraction  good  for  one  hundred  nights.  Of  course 
this  would  be  impossible.  Conventionality  would  ob- 
ject to  such  diaphanous  costumes,  and  bare  limbs, 
though  they  were  of  a  bronzed  hue,  would  shock  Puri- 
tanic eyes. 

Upon  first  entering  the  harbor,  the  Vigilancia  an- 
chored at  a  short  distance  from  the  shore ;  but  when 
it  became  necessary  to  haul  alongside  the  wharf,  the 
attempt  was  made  to  get  up  the  anchor,  when  it  was 
found  to  require  far  more  than  the  usual  expenditure 
of  power  to  do  so.  Finally,  however,  the  anchor  was 
secured,  but  attached  to  its  flukes  there  came  also, 
from  the  bottom  of  the  bay,  a  second  anchor,  of  an- 
tique shape,  covered  with  rust  and  barnacles.  It  was 
such  a  one  as  was  carried  by  the  galleons  of  the  fif- 
teenth century,  and  had  doubtless  lain  for  over  four 
hundred  years  just  where  the  anchor  of  our  ship  had 
got  entangled  with  it.  What  a  remarkable  link  this 
corroded  piece  of  iron  formed,  uniting  the  present  with 
the  far  past,  and  how  it  stimulated  the  mind  in  form- 
ing romantic  possibilities !  It  may  have  been  the 
holding  iron  of  Columbus's  own  caravel,  or  have  been 
the  anchor  of  one  of  Cortez's  fleet,  which  touched  here 
on  its  way  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  or,  indeed,  it  may 
have  belonged  to  some  Caribbean  buccaneer,  who  was 
obliged  to  let  slip  his  cable  and  hasten  away  to  escape 
capture. 

It  was  deemed  a  fortunate  circumstance  to  have 


82  EQUATORIAL   AMERICA. 

secured  this  ancient  relic,  and  a  sure  sign  of  future 
good  luck  to  the  ship,  so  it  was  duly  stored  away  in 
the  lower  hold  of  the  Vigilancia. 

That  same  night  on  which  the  coal  bunkers  were 
filled,  our  good  ship  was  got  under  way,  while  the  ris- 
ing moon  made  the  harbor  and  its  surroundings  as 
clearly  visible  as  though  it  were  midday.  The  light 
from  the  burning  coal  brackets  had  waned,  only  a  few 
sparks  bursting  forth  now  and  again,  disturbed  by  a 
passing  breeze  which  fanned  them  into  life  for  a  mo- 
ment. When  we  passed  through  the  narrow  entrance 
by  the  lighthouse,  and  stood  out  once  more  upon  the 
open  sea,  it  was  mottled,  far  and  near,  with  argent 
ripples,  that  waltzed  merrily  in  the  soft,  clear  moon- 
light, rivaling  the  firefly  dance  on  shore.  Even  to 
the  very  horizon  the  water  presented  a  white,  silvery, 
tremulous  sheen  of  liquid  light.  One  gazed  in  silent 
enjoyment  until  the  eyes  were  weary  with  the  lavish 
beauty  of  the  scene,  and  the  brain  became  giddy  with 
its  splendor.  Is  it  idle  and  commonplace  to  be  en- 
thusiastic ?  Perhaps  so ;  but  we  hope  never  to  outlive 
such  inspiration. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Curious  Seaweed.  —  Professor  Agassiz.  —  Myth  of  a  Lost  Continent.  — 
Island  of  Martinique.  —  An  Attractive  Place.  —  Statue  of  the 
Empress  Josephine.  —  Birthplace  of  Madame  de  Maintenon. — 
City  of  St.  Pierre.  —  Mont  Pel^e.  —  High  Flavored  Specialty.  — 
Grisettes  of  Martinique.  —  A  Botanical  Garden.  —  Defective  Drain- 
age. —  A  Fatal  Enemy.  —  A  Cannibal  Snake.  —  The  Climate. 

Between  St.  Thomas  and  the  island  of  Martinique, 
we  fell  iu  with  some  floating  seaweed,  so  peculiar 
in  appearance  that  an  obliging  quartermaster  picked 
up  a  spray  for  closer  examination.  It  is  a  strange, 
sponge-like  plant,  which  propagates  itself  on  the 
ocean,  unharmed  by  the  fiercest  agitation  of  the 
waves,  or  the  wildest  raging  of  the  winds,  at  the  same 
time  giving  shelter  to  zoophytes  and  mollusks  of  a 
species,  like  itself,  found  nowhere  else.  Sailors  call 
it  Gulf  weed,  but  it  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  Gulf 
Stream,  though  sometimes  clusters  get  astray  and  are 
carried  far  away  on  the  bosom  of  that  grand  ocean 
current.  The  author  has  seen  small  bodies  of  it,  after 
a  fierce  storm  in  the  Caribbean  Sea,  a  thousand  miles 
to  the  eastward  of  Barbadoes.  Its  special  home  is  a 
broad  space  of  ocean  surface  between  the  Gulf  Stream 
and  the  equatorial  current,  known  as  the  Sargasso 
Sea.  Its  limits,  however,  change  somewhat  with  the 
seasons.     It  was  first  noticed  by  Columbus  in  1492, 


34  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

and  in  this  region  it  has  remained  for  centuries,  even 
to  the  present  day.  Sometimes  this  peculiar  weed 
is  so  abundant  as  to  present  the  appearance  of  a  sub- 
merged meadow,  through  which  the  ship  ploughs  its 
way  as  though  sailing  upon  the  land.  We  are  told 
that  Professor  Agassiz,  while  at  sea,  having  got  pos- 
session of  a  small  branch  of  this  marine  growth,  kept 
himself  busily  absorbed  with  it  and  its  products  for 
twelve  hours,  forgetting  all  the  intervening  meals. 
Science  was  more  than  food  and  drink  to  this  grand 
savant.  His  years  from  boyhood  were  devoted  to  the 
study  of  nature  in  her  various  forms.  "Life  is  so 
short,"  said  he,  "one  can  hardly  find  space  to  become 
familiar  with  a  single  science,  much  less  to  acquire 
knowledge  of  many."  When  he  was  applied  to  by  a 
lyceum  committee  to  come  to  a  certain  town  and  lec- 
ture, he  replied  that  he  was  too  busy.  "But  we  will 
pay  you  double  price,  Mr.  Agassiz,  if  you  will  come," 
said  the  applicant.  "I  cannot  waste  time  to  make 
money,"  was  the  noble  reply. 

The  myth  of  a  lost  continent  is  doubtless  familiar  to 
the  reader,  —  a  continent  supposed  to  have  existed  in 
these  waters  thousands  of  years  ago,  but  which,  by 
some  evolution  of  nature,  became  submerged,  sinking 
from  sight  forever.  It  was  the  Atlantis  which  is  men- 
tioned by  Plato ;  the  land  in  which  the  Elysian  Fields 
were  placed,  and  the  Garden  of  Hesperides,  from 
which  the  early  civilization  of  Greece,  Egypt,  and 
Asia  Minor  were  derived,  and  whose  kings  and  heroes 
were  the  Olympian  deities  of  a  later  time.     The  poet- 


MARTINIQUE.  35 

ical  idea  prevails  that  this  plant,  which  once  grew  in 
those  gardens,  having  lost  its  original  home,  has  be- 
come a  floating  waif  on  the  sapphire  sea  of  the  trop- 
ics. The  color  of  the  Sargasso  weed  is  a  faint  orange 
shade ;  the  leaves  are  pointed,  delicate,  and  exquisitely 
formed,  like  those  of  the  weeping  willow  in  their 
youthful  freshness,  having  a  tiny,  round,  light-green 
berry  near  the  base  of  each  leaf.  Mother  Gary's 
chickens  are  said  to  be  fond  of  these  berries,  and 
that  bird  aboimds  in  these  waters. 

Probably  the  main  portion  of  the  West  Indian  is- 
lands was  once  a  part  of  the  continent  of  America, 
many,  many  ages  ago.  There  are  trees  of  the  locust 
family  growing  among  the  group  to-day,  similar  to 
those  found  on  our  southern  coast,  which  are  declared 
to  be  four  thousand  years  old.  This  statement  is  par- 
tially corroborated  by  known  characteristics  ©f  the 
growth  of  the  locust,  and  there  are  arborists  who  fully 
credit  this  great  longevity.  It  is  interesting  to  look 
upon  an  object  which  had  a  vital  existence  two  thou- 
sand years  and  more  before  Christ  was  upon  earth, 
and  which  is  still  animate. 

Each  new  island  which  one  visits  in  the  West  In- 
dies seems  more  lovely  than  its  predecessor,  always 
leaving  Hayti  out  of  the  question ;  but  Martinique,  at 
this  moment  of  writing,  appears  to  rival  all  those  with 
which  the  author  is  familiar.  It  might  be  a  choice 
bit  out  of  Cuba,  Singapore,  or  far-away  Hawaii.  Its 
liability  to  destructive  hurricanes  is  its  only  visible 


36  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

drawback.     Having  been  discovered  on  St.  Martin's 
day,  Columbus  gave  it  the  name  it  now  bears. 

St.  Pierre  is  the  commercial  capital  of  Martinique, 
one  of  the  French  West  Indies,  and  the  largest  of  the 
group  belonging  to  that  nation.  Fort  de  France  is 
the  political  capital,  situated  about  thirty  miles  from 
St.  Pierre.  It  was  nearly  ruined  by  the  cyclone  of 
last  August,  a  few  weeks  after  the  author's  visit.  St. 
Pierre  is  the  best  built  town  in  the  Lesser  Antilles, 
and  has  a  population  of  about  twenty-five  thousand. 
The  streets  are  well  paved,  and  the  principal  avenues 
are  beautified  by  ornamental  trees  uniformly  planted. 
The  grateful  shade  thus  obtained,  and  the  long  lines 
of  charming  arboreal  perspective  which  are  formed, 
are  desirable  accessories  to  any  locality,  but  doubly  so 
in  tropical  regions.  The  houses  are  very  attractive, 
while  there  is  a  prevailing  aspect  of  order,  cleanliness, 
and  thrift  everywhere  apparent.  It  was  not  our 
experience  to  meet  one  beggar  in  the  streets  of  St. 
Pierre.  More  or  less  of  poverty  must  exist  every- 
where, but  it  does  not  stalk  abroad  here,  as  it  does  in 
many  rich  and  pretentious  capitals  of  the  great  world. 
The  island  is  situated  midway  between  Dominica  and 
St.  Lucia,  and  is  admitted  by  all  visitors  to  be  one 
of  the  most  picturesque  of  the  West  Indian  groups. 
Irregidar  in  shape,  it  is  also  high  and  rocky,  thus 
forming  one  of  the  most  prominent  of  the  large  vol- 
canic family  which  sprang  up  so  many  ages  ago  in 
these  seas.  Its  apex,  Mont  Pelee,  an  only  partially 
extinct  volcano,  rises  between  four  and  five  thousand 


INTERESTING  MONUMENT.  37 

feet  above  the  level  of  the  ocean,  and  is  the  first  point 
visible  on  approaching  the  island  from  the  north.  It 
would  be  interesting  to  dilate  upon  the  past  history  of 
Martinique,  for  it  has  known  not  a  little  of  the  check- 
ered vicissitudes  of  these  Antilles,  having  been  twice 
captured  by  the  English,  and  twice  restored  to  France. 
But  this  would  not  be  in  accordance  with  the  design 
of  these  pages. 

St.  Pierre  is  situated  on  the  lee  side  of  the  island, 
something  less  than  two  thousand  miles,  by  the  course 
we  have  steered,  from  New  York,  and  three  hundred 
miles  from  St.  Thomas.  It  comes  down  to  the  very 
water's  edge,  with  its  parti-colored  houses  and  red-tiled 
roofs,  which  mingle  here  and  there  with  tall,  overhang- 
ing cocoa-palms.  This  is  the  most  lavishly  beautiful 
tree  in  the  world,  and  one  which  never  fails  to  impart 
special  interest  to  its  surroundings. 

A  marble  statue  in  the  Place  de  la  Savane,  at  Fort 
de  France,  on  the  same  side  of  the  island  as  St. 
Pierre,  recalls  the  fact  that  this  was  the  birthplace 
of  the  Empress  Josephine,  born  in  1763.  Her  memo- 
rable history  is  too  familiar  for  us  to  repeat  any  por- 
tion of  it  here,  but  the  brain  becomes  very  active  at 
the  mere  mention  of  her  name,  in  recalling  the  ro- 
mantic and  tragic  episodes  of  her  life,  so  closely  inter- 
woven with  the  career  of  the  first  Napoleon.  One 
instinctively  recalls  the  small  boudoir  in  the  palace 
of  Trianon,  where  her  husband  signed  the  divorce 
from  Josephine.  That  he  loved  her  with  his  whole 
power  for  loving  is  plain  enough,  as  is  also  his  well- 


38  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

known  reason  for  the  separation,  namely,  the  desire 
for  offspring  to  transmit  his  name  to  posterity.  There 
is  one  legend  which  is  always  rehearsed  to  strangers, 
relating  to  Josephine's  youth  upon  the  island.  We 
refer  to  that  of  the  old  negress  fortune-teller  who  prog- 
nosticated the  grandeur  of  her  future  career,  together 
with  its  melancholy  termination,  a  story  so  tinctured 
with  local  color  that,  if  it  be  not  absolutely  true,  it 
surely  ought  to  be.  The  statue,  unless  we  are  misin- 
formed, was  the  gift  of  that  colossal  fraud.  Napoleon 
III.,  though  it  purports  to  have  been  raised  to  the 
memory  of  Josephine  by  the  people  of  Martinique, 
who  certainly  feel  great  pride  in  the  fact  of  her  hav- 
ing been  born  here,  and  who  truly  venerate  her  mem- 
ory. The  statue  represents  the  empress  dressed  in  the 
fashion  of  the  First  Empire,  with  bare  arms  and  shoul- 
ders, one  hand  resting  on  a  medallion  bearing  a  pro- 
file of  the  emperor  to  whom  she  was  devoted.  The 
whole  is  partially  shaded  by  a  haK  dozen  grand  old 
palms.  The  group  teems  with  historic  suggestiveness, 
recalling  one  of  the  most  tragic  chapters  of  modern 
European  history.  It  seemed  to  us  that  the  artist  had 
succeeded  in  imparting  to  the  figure  an  expression  in- 
dicating something  of  the  sad  story  of  the  original. 

This  beautiful  island,  it  will  be  remembered,  also 
gave  to  France  another  remarkable  historic  character, 
Fran9oise  d'Aubigne,  afterwards  Madame  Scarron, 
but  better  known  to  the  world  at  large  as  Madame  de 
Maintenon.  She,  too,  was  the  wife  of  a  king,  though 
the  marriage  was  a  left-handed  one,  but  as  the  power 


GRISETTES  IN  EBONY.  39 

behind  the  throne,  she  is  well  known  to  have  shaped 
for  years  the  political  destinies  of  France. 

St.  Pierre  has  several  schools,  a  very  good  hotel, 
a  theatre,  a  public  library,  together  with  some  other 
modem  and  progressive  institutions;  yet  somehow 
everything  looked  quaint  and  olden,  a  sixteenth  century 
atmosphere  seeming  to  pervade  the  town.  The  win- 
dows of  the  ordinary  dwellings  have  no  glass,  which  is 
very  naturally  considered  to  be  a  superfluity  in  this 
climate ;  but  these  windows  have  iron  bars  and  wooden 
shutters  behind  them,  relics  of  the  days  of  slavery, 
when  every  white  man's  house  was  his  castle,  and 
great  precautions  were  taken  to  guard  against  the 
possible  uprising  of  the  blacks,  who  outnumbered 
their  masters  twenty  to  one. 

Though  so  large  a  portion  of  the  population  are  of 
negro  descent,  yet  they  are  very  French-like  in  char- 
acter. The  native  women  especially  seem  to  be  friv- 
olous and  coquettish,  not  to  say  rather  lax  in  morals. 
They  appear  to  be  very  fond  of  dress.  The  young 
negresses  have  learned  from  their  white  mistresses  how 
to  put  on  their  diaphanous  clothing  in  a  jaunty  and 
telling  fashion,  leaving  one  bronzed  arm  and  shoulder 
bare,  which  strikes  the  eye  in  strong  contrast  with  the 
snow  white  of  their  cotton  chemises.  They  are  Pari- 
sian grisettes  in  ebony,  and  with  their  large,  roguish 
eyes,  well-rounded  figures,  straight  pose,  and  dainty 
ways,  the  half-breeds  are  certainly  very  attractive, 
and  only  too  ready  for  a  lark  with  a  stranger.  They 
strongly  remind  one  of  the  pretty  quadroons  of  Louisi- 


40  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

ana,  in  their  manners,  complexion,  and  general  ap- 
pearance ;  and  like  those  handsome  offspring  of  min- 
gled blood,  so  often  seen  in  our  Southern  States,  we 
suspect  that  these  of  Martinique  enjoy  but  a  brief 
space  of  existence.  The  average  life  of  a  quadroon 
is  less  than  thirty  yearsr 

Martinique  is  eight  times  as  large  as  St.  Thomas, 
containing  a  population  of  about  one  hundred  and  sev- 
enty-five thousand.  Within  its  borders  there  are  at 
least  five  extinct  volcanoes,  one  of  which  has  an  enor- 
mous crater,  exceeded  by  only  three  or  four  others  in 
the  known  world.  The  island  rises  from  the  sea  in 
three  groups  of  rugged  peaks,  and  contains  some  very 
fertile  valleys.  So  late  as  1851,  Mont  Pelee  burst 
forth  furiously  with  flames  and  smoke,  which  naturally 
threw  the  people  into  a  serious  panic,  many  persons 
taking  refuge  temporarily  on  board  the  shipping  in 
the  harbor.  The  eruption  on  this  occasion  did  not 
amount  to  anything  very  serious,  only  covering  some 
hundreds  of  acres  with  sulphurous  debris,  yet  serving 
to  show  that  the  volcano  was  not  dead,  but  sleeping. 
Once  or  twice  since  that  date  ominous  mutterings  have 
been  heard  from  Mont  Pelee,  which  it  is  confidently 
predicted  will  one  day  deluge  St.  Pierre  with  ashes 
and  lava,  repeating  the  story  of  Pompeii. 

Sugar,  rum,  coffee,  and  cotton  are  the  staple  prod- 
ucts here,  supplemented  by  tobacco,  manioc  flour, 
bread-fruit,  and  bananas.  Hum  is  very  extensively 
manufactured,  and  has  a  good  mercantile  reputation 
for  its  excellence,  commanding  as  high  prices  as  the 


ISLAND  PRODUCTS.  41 

more  famous  article  of  the  same  nature  produced  at 
Jamaica.  The  purpose  of  the  author  is  mainly  to 
record  personal  impressions,  but  a  certain  sprinkling 
of  statistics  and  detail  is  inevitable,  if  we  would  in- 
form, as  well  as  amuse,  the  average  reader. 

The  flora  of  Martinique  is  the  marvel  and  delight  of 
all  who  have  enjoyed  its  extraordinary  beauty,  while 
the  great  abundance  and  variety  of  its  fruits  are  be- 
lieved to  be  unsurpassed  even  in  the  prolific  tropics. 
Of  that  favorite,  the  mango,  the  island  produces  some 
forty  varieties,  and  probably  in  no  other  region  has 
the  muscatel  grape  reached  to  such  perfection  in  size 
and  flavor.  The  whole  island  looks  like  a  maze  of 
greenery,  as  it  is  approached  from  the  sea,  vividly 
recalling  Tutuila  of  the  Samoan  group  in  the  South 
Pacific.  Like  most  of  the  West  Indian  islands, 
Martinique  was  once  densely  covered  with  trees,  and 
a  remnant  of  these  ancient  woods  creeps  down  to  the 
neighborhood  of  St.  Pierre  to-day. 

The  principal  landing  is  crowded  at  all  times  with 
hogsheads  of  sugar  and  molasses,  and  other  casks 
containing  the  highly  scented  island  rum,  the  two 
sweets,  together  with  the  spirits,  causing  a  nauseous 
odor  under  the  powerful  heat  of  a  vertical  sun.  We 
must  not  forget  to  mention,  however,  that  St.  Pierre 
has  a  specific  for  bad  odors  in  her  somewhat  peculiar 
specialty,  namely,  eau-de-cologne,  which  is  manufac- 
tured on  this  island,  and  is  equal  to  the  European 
article  of  the  same  name,  distilled  at  the  famous  city 
on  the  Rhine.     No  one  visits  the  port,  if  it  be  for  but 


42  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

a  single  day,  without  bringing  away  a  sample  bottle 
of  this  delicate  perfumery,  a  small  portion  of  which, 
added  to  the  morning  bath,  is  delightfully  refreshing, 
especially  when  one  uses  salt  water  at  sea,  it  so 
effectively  removes  the  saline  stickiness  which  is  apt 
to  remain  upon  the  limbs  and  body  after  a  cold  bath. 

The  town  is  blessed  with  an  inexhaustible  supply  of 
good,  fresh,  mountain  water,  which,  besides  furnish- 
ing the  necessary  quantity  for  several  large  drinking 
foimtains,  feeds  some  ornamental  ones,  and  purifies 
the  streets  by  a  flow  through  the  gutters,  after  the 
fashion  of  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah.  This  is  in  fact 
the  only  system  of  drainage  at  St.  Pierre.  A  bronze 
fountain  in  the  Place  Bertin  is  fed  from  this  source, 
and  is  an  object  of  great  pleasure  in  a  climate  where 
cold  water  in  abundance  is  an  inestimable  boon. 
This  elaborate  fountain  was  the  gift  of  a  colored  man, 
named  Alfred  Agnew,  who  was  at  one  time  mayor 
of  the  city.  Many  of  the  gardens  attached  to  the 
dwelling-houses  are  ornamented  with  ever-flowing 
fountains,  which  impart  a  refreshing  coolness  to  the 
tropical  atmosphere. 

The  Rue  Victor  Hugo  is  the  main  thoroughfare, 
traversing  the  whole  length  of  the  town  parallel  with 
the  shore,  up  hill  and  down,  crossing  a  small  bridge, 
and  finally  losing  itself  in  the  environs.  It  is  nicely 
kept,  well  paved,  and,  though  it  is  rather  narrow,  it 
is  the  Broadway  of  St.  Pierre.  Some  of  the  streets 
are  so  abrupt  in  grade  as  to  recall  similar  avenues  in 
the  English  portion  of  Hong  Kong,  too  steep  for  the 


NATIVES  OF  MARTINIQUE.  43 

passage  of  vehicles,  or  even  for  donkeys,  being  as- 
cended by  means  of  much  worn  stone  steps.  Fine, 
broad  roadways  surround  the  town  and  form  pleasant 
drives. 

The  cathedral  has  a  sweet  chime  of  bells,  whose 
soft,  liquid  notes  came  to  us  across  the  water  of  the 
bay  with  touching  cadence  at  the  Angelus  hour.  It 
must  be  a  sadly  calloused  heart  which  fails  to  respond 
to  these  twilight  sounds  in  an  isle  of  the  Caribbean 
Sea.  Millet's  impressive  picture  was  vividly  recalled 
as  we  sat  upon  the  deck  and  listened  to  those  bells, 
whose  notes  floated  softly  upon  the  air  as  if  bidding 
farewell  to  the  lingering  daylight.  At  the  moment, 
all  else  being  so  still,  it  seemed  as  though  one's  heart- 
beat could  be  heard,  while  the  senses  were  bathed  in  a 
tranquil  gladness  incited  by  the  surrounding  scenery 
and  the  suggestiveness  of  the  hour. 

Three  fourths  of  the  population  are  half-breeds, 
bom  of  whites,  blacks,  or  mulattoes,  with  a  possible 
strain  of  Carib  blood  in  their  veins,  the  result  of 
which  is  sometimes  a  very  handsome  type  of  bronzed 
hue,  but  of  Circassian  features.  Some  of  the  young 
women  of  the  better  class  are  very  attractive,  with 
complexions  of  a  gypsy  color,  like  the  artists'  models 
who  frequent  the  "Spanish  Stairs"  leading  to  the 
Trinita  di  Monti,  at  Rome.  These  girls  possess  deep, 
dark  eyes,  pearly  teeth,  with  good  figures,  upright 
and  supple  as  the  palms.  In  dress  they  affect  all  the 
colors  of  the  rainbow,  presenting  oftentimes  a  charm- 
ing audacity  of  contrasts,  and  somehow  it  seems  to  be 


44  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

quite  the  thing  for  them  to  do  so ;  it  accords  perfectly 
with  their  complexions,  with  the  climate,  with  every- 
thing tropical.  The  many-colored  Madras  kerchief 
is  universally  worn  by  the  common  class  of  women, 
twisted  into  a  jaunty  turban,  with  one  well-starched 
end  ingeniously  arranged  so  as  to  stand  upright  like  a 
soldier's  plume.  The  love  of  ornament  is  displayed 
by  the  wearing  of  hoop  earrings  of  enormous  size,  to- 
gether with  triple  strings  of  gold  beads,  and  bracelets 
of  the  same  material.  If  any  one  imagines  he  has 
seen  larger  sized  hoop  earrings  this  side  of  Africa,  he 
is  mistaken.  They  are  more  like  bangles  than  ear- 
rings, hanging  down  so  as  to  rest  upon  the  neck  and 
shoulders.  Those  who  cannot  afford  the  genuine  ar- 
ticle satisfy  their  vanity  with  gaudy  imitations.  They 
form  a  very  curious  and  interesting  study,  these  black, 
brown,  and  yellow  people,  both  men  and  women.  In 
the  market-place  at  the  north  end  of  the  town,  the 
women  preside  over  their  bananas,  oranges,  and  other 
fruits,  in  groups,  squatting  like  Asiatics  on  their  heels. 
In  the  Havana  fish  market,  one  compares  the  variety 
of  colors  exhibited  by  the  fishes  exposed  for  sale  to 
those  of  the  kaleidoscope,  but  here  the  Cuban  display 
is  equaled  if  not  surpassed. 

St.  Pierre  has  a  botanical  garden,  situated  about  a 
mile  from  the  centre  of  the  town,  so  located  as  to  ad- 
mit of  utilizing  a  portion  of  the  native  forest  yet  left 
standing,  with  here  and  there  an  impenetrable  growth 
of  the  feathery  bamboo,  king  of  the  grasses,  inter- 
spersed with  the  royal  palm  and  lighter  green  tree- 


A  BOTANICAL   GARDEN.  45 

ferns.  The  bamboo  is  a  marvel,  single  stems  of  it 
often  attaining  a  height  in  tropical  regions  of  a  hun- 
dred and  seventy  feet,  and  a  diameter  of  a  foot.  So 
rapid  is  its  growth  that  it  is  sometimes  known  to  at- 
tain the  height  of  a  hundred  feet  in  sixty  days.  Art 
has  done  something  to  improve  the  advantages  af- 
forded by  nature  in  this  botanical  garden,  arranging 
some  pretty  lakes,  fountains,  and  cascades.  Vistas 
have  been  cut  through  the  dense  undergrowth,  and 
driveways  have  been  made,  thus  improving  the  rather 
neglected  grounds.  One  pretty  lake  of  considerable 
size  contains  three  or  four  small  islands,  covered  with 
flowering  plants,  while  on  the  shore  are  pretty  summer- 
houses  and  inviting  arbors.  The  frangipanni,  tall  and 
almost  leafless,  but  with  thick,  fleshy  shoots  and  a 
broad-spread,  single  leaf,  was  recognized  here  among 
other  interesting  plants.  This  is  the  fragrant  flower 
mentioned  by  the  early  discoverers.  There  was  also 
the  parti-colored  passion-flower,  and  groups  of  odd- 
shaped  cacti,  whose  thick,  green  leaves  were  daintily 
rimmed  with  an  odorless  yellow  bloom.  Here,  also, 
is  an  interesting  example  of  the  ceba-tree,  in  whose 
shade  a  hundred  persons  might  banquet  together. 
The  author  has  seen  specimens  of  the  ceba  superbly 
developed  in  Cuba  and  the  Bahamas,  with  its  massive 
and  curiously  buttressed  trunk,  having  the  large  roots 
half  above  ground.  It  is  a  solitary  tree,  growing  to 
a  large  size  and  enjoying  great  longevity.  Mangoes 
abound  here,  the  finest  known  as  the  mango  d'or. 
There   is  a  certain  air  about  the   public  garden   of 


46  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

St.  Pierre,  indicating  that  nature  is  permitted  in  a 
large  degree  to  have  her  own  sweet  will.  Evidences 
enough  remain  to  show  the  visitor  that  these  grounds 
must  once  have  been  in  a  much  more  presentable  con- 
dition. There  is  a  musical  cascade,  which  is  well 
worth  a  long  walk  to  see  and  enjoy.  Just  inside  of 
the  entrance,  one  spot  was  all  ablate  with  a  tiny  yellow 
flower,  best  known  to  us  as  English  broom,  Cytisus 
genista.  Its  profuse  but  delicate  bloom  was  dazzling 
beneath  the  bright  sim's  rays.  Could  it  possibly  be 
indigenous?  No  one  could  tell  us.  Probably  some 
resident  brought  it  hither  from  his  home  across  the 
ocean,  and  it  has  kindly  adapted  itself  to  the  new  soil 
and  climate. 

We  were  cautioned  to  look  out  for  and  to  avoid 
a  certain  poisonous  snake,  a  malignant  reptile,  with 
fatal  fangs,  which  is  the  dread  of  the  inhabitants, 
some  of  whom  are  said  to  die  every  year  from  the 
venom  of  the  creature.  It  will  be  remembered  that 
one  of  these  snakes,  known  here  as  \he  fer-de-lance^ 
bit  Josephine,  the  future  empress,  when  she  was  very 
young,  and  that  her  faithful  negro  nurse  saved  the 
child's  life  by  instantly  drawing  the  poison  from  the 
wound  with  her  own  lips.  It  is  singular  that  this  is- 
land, and  that  of  St.  Lucia,  directly  south  of  it,  shoidd 
be  cursed  by  the  presence  of  these  poisonous  creatures, 
which  do  not  exist  in  any  other  of  the  West  Indian 
islands,  and,  indeed,  so  far  as  we  know,  are  not  to  be 
found  anywhere  else.  The  fer-de-lance  has  one  fatal 
enemy.     This  is  a  large   snake,   harmless  so  far  as 


A   POISONOUS  SNAKE.  47 

poisonous  fangs  are  concerned,  called  the  cribo.  This 
reptile  fearlessly  attacks  the  f er-de-lance,  and  kills  and 
eats  him  in  spite  of  his  venom,  a  perfectly  justifiable  if 
not  gratifying  instance  of  cannibalism,  where  a  creature 
eats  and  relishes  the  body  of  one  of  its  own  species. 
The  domestic  cat  is  said  also  to  be  more  than  a  match 
for  the  dreaded  snake,  and  instinctively  adopts  a  style 
of  attack  which,  while  protecting  itself,  finally  closes 
the  contest  by  the  death  of  the  fer-de-lance,  which  it 
seizes  just  back  of  the  head  at  the  spine,  and  does  not 
let  go  until  it  has  severed  the  head  from  the  body ; 
and  even  then  instinct  teaches  the  cat  to  avoid  the 
head,  for  though  it  be  severed  from  the  body,  like  the 
mouth  of  a  turtle  under  similar  circumstances,  it  can 
still  inflict  a  serious  wound. 

The  fer-de-lance  is  a  great  destroyer  of  rats,  this 
rodent  forming  its  principal  source  of  food.  Now  as 
rats  are  almost  as  much  of  a  pest  upon  the  island,  and 
especially  on  the  sugar  plantations,  as  rabbits  are  in 
New  Zealand,  it  will  be  seen  that  even  the  existence 
of  this  poisonous  snake  is  not  an  unmitigated  evil. 

Crosses  and  wayside  shrines  of  a  very  humble  char- 
acter are  to  be  seen  in  all  directions  on  the  roadsides 
leading  from  St.  Pierre,  recalling  similar  structures 
which  line  the  inland  roads  of  Japan,  where  the  local 
religion  finds  like  public  expression,  only  varying  in 
the  character  of  the  emblems.  At  Martinique  it  is 
a  Christ  or  a  Madonna;  in  Japan  it  is  a  crude  idol 
of  some  sort,  the  more  hideous,  the  more  appropriate. 
The  same  idea  is  to  be  seen  carried  out  in  the  streets 


48  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

of  Canton  and  Shanghai,  only  Chinese  idols  are  a  de- 
gree more  unlike  anything  upon  or  below  the  earth 
than  they  are  elsewhere. 

It  was  observed  that  while  there  were  plenty  of 
masculine  loafers  and  careless  idlers  of  various  colors, 
whose  whole  occupation  seemed  to  be  sucking  at  some 
form  of  burning  tobacco  in  the  shape  of  cigarette, 
cigar,  or  pipe,  the  women,  of  whatever  complexion, 
seen  in  public,  were  all  usefully  employed.  They  are 
industrious  by  instinct;  one  almost  never  sees  them 
in  repose.  In  the  transportation  of  all  articles  of 
domestic  use,  women  bear  them  upon  their  heads, 
whether  the  article  weighs  one  pound  or  fifty,  balan- 
cing their  load  without  making  use  of  the  hands 
except  to  place  the  article  in  position.  The  women 
not  infrequently  have  also  a  baby  upon  their  backs 
at  the  same  time.  Negresses  and  donkeys  perform 
nine  tenths  of  the  transportation  of  merchandise. 
Wheeled  vehicles  are  very  little  used  in  the  West 
Indian  islands.  As  we  have  seen,  even  in  coaling 
ship,  it  is  the  women  who  do  the  work. 

The  Hotel  des  Bains,  at  St.  Pierre,  is  an  excellent 
hostelry,  as  such  places  go  in  this  part  of  the  world. 
The  stranger  wiU.  find  here  most  of  the  requisites  for 
domestic  comfort,  and  at  reasonable  prices.  As  a 
health  resort  the  place  has  its  advantages,  and  a 
northern  invalid,  wishing  to  escape  the  rigor  of  a  New 
England  winter,  woidd  doubtless  find  much  to  occupy 
and  recuperate  him  here.  St.  Pierre,  however,  has 
times  of  serious  epidemic  sickness,  though  this  does 


TROPICAL   SUNRISE.  49 

not  often  happen  in  the  winter  season.  Three  or  four 
years  ago  the  island  was  visited  by  a  sweeping  epi- 
demic of  small-pox,  but  it  raged  almost  entirely  among 
the  lowest  classes,  principally  among  the  negroes,  who 
seem  to  have  a  great  prejudice  and  superstitious  fear 
relating  to  vaccination,  and  its  employment  as  a  pre- 
ventive against  contracting  the  disease.  In  the  yel- 
low fever  season  the  city  suffers  more  or  less,  but  the 
health  of  St.  Pierre  will  average  as  good  as  that  of 
our  extreme  Southern  States ;  and  yet,  after  all,  with 
the  earthquakes,  hurricanes,  tarantulas,  scorpions,  and 
deadly  fer-de-lance,  as  Artemus  Ward  would  say, 
Martinique  presents  many  characteristics  to  recom- 
mend protracted  absence.  A  brief  visit  is  like  a  poem 
to  be  remembered,  but  one  soon  gets  a  surfeit  of  the 
circimiscribed  island. 

Our  next  objective  point  was  Barbadoes,  to  reach 
which  we  sailed  one  himdred  and  fifty  miles  to  the  east- 
ward, this  most  important  of  the  Lesser  Antilles  being 
situated  further  to  windward,  that  is,  nearer  the  con- 
tinent of  Europe.  Our  ponderous  anchor  came  up  at 
early  morning,  just  as  the  sun  rose  out  of  the  long, 
level  reach  of  waters.  It  looked  like  a  mammoth  ball 
of  fire,  which  had  been  immersed  during  the  hours  of 
the  night  countless  fathoms  below  the  sea.  Presently 
everything  was  aglow  with  light  and  warmth,  while 
the  atmosphere  seemed  full  of  infinitesimal  particles 
of  glittering  gold.  At  first  one  could  watch  the  face 
of  the  rising  sun,  as  it  came  peering  above  the  sea, 
a  sort  of  fascination  impelling  the  observer  to  do  so, 


50  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

but  after  a  few  moments,  no  human  eye  could  bear 
its  dazzling  splendor. 

Said  an  honest  old  Marshfield  farmer,  in  1776,  who 
met  the  clergyman  of  the  village  very  early  in  the 
opening  day:  "Ah,  good  mornin',  Parson,  another 
fine  day,"  nodding  significantly  towards  the  sun  just 
appearing  above  the  cloudless  horizon  of  Massachu- 
setts Bay.  "They  do  say  the  airth  moves,  and  the 
sun  stands  still;  but  you  and  I,  Parson,  we  git  up 
airly  and  we  see  it  rise!  " 


CHAPTER  in. 

English  Island  of  Barbadoes.  —  Bridgetown  the  Capital.  —  The  Manu- 
facture of  Rum.  —  A  Geographical  Expert.  —  Very  English.  —  A 
Pest  of  Ants.  —  Exports.  —  The  Ice  House.  —  A  Dense  Popula- 
tion. —  Educational.  —  Marine  Hotel.  —  Habits  of  Gambling.  — 
Hurricanes.  —  Ciuious  Antiquities.  —  The  Barbadoes  Leg.  —  Wake- 
ful Dreams.  —  Absence  of  Twilight.  —  Departure  from  the  Island. 

Bridgetown  is  the  capital  of  Barbadoes,  an  Eng- 
lish island  which,  unlike  St.  Thomas,  is  a  highly  culti- 
vated sugar  plantation  from  shore  to  shore.  In  natural 
beauty,  however,  it  will  not  compare  with  Martinique. 
It  is  by  no  means  picturesquely  beautiful,  like  most 
of  the  West  Indian  islands,  being  quite  devoid  of 
their  thick  tropical  verdure.  Nature  is  here  absolutely 
beaten  out  of  the  field  by  excessive  cultivation.  Thirty 
thousand  acres  of  sugar-cane  are  cut  annually,  yield- 
ing, according  to  late  statistics,  about  seventy  thou- 
sand hogsheads  of  sugar.  We  are  sorry  to  add  that 
there  are  twenty -three  rum  distilleries  on  the  island, 
which  do  pecuniarily  a  thriving  business.  "The  poor- 
est molasses  makes  the  best  rum,"  said  an  experienced 
manager  to  us.  He  might  well  have  added  that  it  is 
also  the  poorest  use  to  which  it  could  be  put.  This 
spirit,  like  all  produced  in  the  West  Indies,  is  called 
Jamaica  rum,  and  though  a  certain  amount  of  it  is 
still  shipped  to  the  coast  of  Africa,  the  return  cargoes 


62  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

no  longer  consist  of  kidnapped  negroes.  The  article 
known  as  New  England  rum,  still  manufactured  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Boston,  has  always  disputed  the 
African  market,  so  to  speak,  with  the  product  of  these 
islands.  Rum  is  the  bane  of  Africa,  just  as  opium  is 
of  China,  the  former  thrust  upon  the  native  races  by 
Americans,  the  latter  upon  the  Chinese  by  English 
merchants,  backed  by  the  British  government.  Events 
follow  each  other  so  swiftly  in  modern  times  as  to 
become  half  forgotten  by  contemporary  people,  but 
there  are  those  among  us  who  remember  when  China 
as  a  nation  tried  to  stop  the  importation  of  the  deadly 
drug  yielded  by  the  poppy  fields  of  India,  whereupon 
England  forced  the  article  upon  her  at  the  point  of 
the  bayonet. 

Bridgetown  is  situated  at  the  west  end  of  the  is- 
land on  the  open  roadstead  of  Carlisle  Bay,  and  has  a 
population  of  over  twenty -five  thousand.  Barbadoes 
lies  about  eighty  miles  to  the  windward  of  St.  Vincent, 
its  nearest  neighbor,  and  is  separated  from  Europe 
by  four  thousand  miles  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  It  is 
comparatively  removed  from  the  chain  formed  by  the 
Windward  Isles,  its  situation  being  so  isolated  that  it 
remained  almost  unnoticed  until  a  century  had  passed 
after  Columbus's  first  discovery  in  these  waters.  The 
area  of  the  British  possessions  in  the  West  Indies  is 
about  one  seventh  of  the  islands.  It  is  often  stated 
that  Barbadoes  is  nearly  as  large  as  the  Isle  of  Wight, 
but  the  fact  is,  it  exceeds  that  island  in  superficial 
area,  being  a  little  over  fifty -five  miles  in  circumfer- 


BRIDGETOWN.  63 

ence.  The  reader  will  perhaps  remember  that  it  was 
here  Addison  laidPthe  scene  of  his  touching  story  of 
"Inkle  and  Yarico,"  published  so  many  years  ago  in 
the  "Spectator." 

Though  it  is  not  particularly  well  laid  out,  Bridge- 
town makes  a  very  pleasing  picture,  as  a  whole,  when 
seen  from  the  harbor.  Here  and  there  a  busy  wind- 
mill is  mixed  with  tall  and  verdant  tropical  trees, 
backed  by  far-reaching  fields  of  yellow  sugar-cane, 
together  with  low,  sloping  hills.  The  buildings  are 
mostly  of  stone,  or  coral  rock,  and  the  town  follows 
the  graceful  curve  of  the  bay.  The  streets  are  macad- 
amized and  lighted  with  gas,  but  are  far  too  narrow 
for  business  purposes.  The  island  is  about  twenty- 
one  miles  long  and  between  fourteen  and  fifteen 
broad,  the  shores  being  nearly  inclosed  in  a  cordon  of 
coral  reefs,  some  of  which  extend  for  two  or  three 
miles  seaward,  demanding  of  navigators  the  greatest 
care  on  seeking  a  landing,  though  the  course  into  the 
roads  to  a  suitable  anchorage  is  carefully  buoyed. 

Barbadoeswas  originally  settled  by  the  Portuguese, 
who  here  found  the  branches  of  a  certain  forest  tree 
covered  with  hair-like  hanging  moss,  from  whence  its 
somewhat  peculiar  name,  Barbadoes,  or  the  "bearded 
place,"  is  supposed  to  have  been  derived.  Probably 
this  was  the  Indian  fig-tree,  still  found  here,  and 
which  lives  for  many  centuries,  growing  to  enormous 
proportions.  In  India,  Ceylon,  and  elsewhere  in 
Asia,  it  is  held  sacred.  The  author  has  seen  one  of 
these  trees  at  Kandy,  in  the  island  of  Ceylon,  under 


64  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

which  sacred  rites  have  taken  place  constantly  for 
a  thousand  years  or  more,  and  #hose  widespread 
branches  could  shelter  five  hundred  people  from  the 
heat  of  the  sun.  It  stands  close  by  the  famous  old 
Buddhist  temple  wherein  is  preserved  the  tooth  of  the 
prophet,  and  before  which  devout  Indians  prostrate 
themselves  daily,  coming  from  long  distances  to  do  so. 
Indeed,  Kandy  is  the  Mecca  of  Ceylon. 

A  good  share  of  even  the  reading  public  of  England 
would  be  puzzled  to  tell  an  inquirer  exactly  where 
Barbadoes  is  situated,  while  most  of  those  who  have 
any  idea  about  it  have  gained  such  knowledge  as  they 
possess  from  Captain  Marryat's  clever  novel  of  "Pe- 
ter Simple,"  where  the  account  is,  to  be  sure,  meagre 
enough.  StiU  later,  those  who  have  read  Anthony 
TroUope's  "West  Indies  and  the  Spanish  Main" 
have  got  from  the  flippant  pages  of  that  book  some 
idea  of  the  island,  though  it  is  a  very  disagreeable 
example  of  TroUope's  pedantic  style. 

"Barbadoes?  Barbadoes?  "  said  a  society  man  to 
the  writer  of  these  pages,  in  aU  seriousness,  just  as 
he  was  about  to  sail  from  New  York,  "that 's  on  the 
coast  of  Africa,  is  it  not?  " 

"Oh,  no,"  was  the  reply,  "it  is  one  of  the  islands 
of  the  Lesser  Antilles." 

"Where are  the  Antilles,  pray?  " 

"You  must  surely  know." 

"But  I  do  not,  nevertheless;  haven't  the  remotest 
idea.  Fact  is,  geography  never  was  one  of  my  strong 
points." 


''LITTLE  ENGLAND."  55 

With  which  remark  we  silently  agreed,  and  yet  our 
friend  is  reckoned  to  be  a  fairly  educated,  cultured 
person,  as  these  expressions  are  conunonly  used. 
Probably  he  represents  the  average  geographical 
knowledge  of  one  half  the  people  to  be  met  with  in 
miscellaneous  society. 

This  is  the  first  English  possession  where  the  sugar- 
cane was  planted,  and  is  one  of  the  most  ancient  col- 
onies of  Great  Britain.  It  bears  no  resemblance  to 
the  other  islands  in  these  waters,  that  is,  topographi- 
cally, nor,  indeed,  in  the  character  of  its  population, 
being  entirely  English.  The  place  might  be  a  bit 
taken  out  of  any  shire  town  of  the  British  home  is- 
land, were  it  only  a  little  more  cleanly  and  less  un- 
savory; still  it  is  more  English  than  West  Indian. 
The  manners  and  customs  are  all  similar  to  those  of 
the  people  of  that  nationality;  the  negroes,  and  their 
descendants  of  mixed  blood,  speak  the  same  tongue  as 
the  denizens  of  St.  Giles,  London.  The  island  has 
often  been  called  "Little  England."  There  is  no 
reliable  history  of  Barbadoes  before  the  period  when 
Great  Britain  took  possession  of  it,  some  two  hundred 
aud  sixty  years  ago.  Government  House  is  a  rather 
plain  but  pretentious  dwelling,  where  the  governor 
has  his  official  and  domestic  residence.  In  its  rear 
there  is  a  garden,  often  spoken  of  by  visitors,  which 
is  beautified  by  some  of  the  choicest  trees  and  shrubs 
of  this  latitude.  It  is  really  surprising  how  much  a 
refined  taste  and  skillful  gardening  can  accomplish 
in  so  circumscribed  a  space. 


66  EQUATORIAL   AMERICA. 

Barbadoes  is  somewhat  remarkable  as  producing  a 
variety  of  minerals ;  among  which  are  coal,  manganese, 
iron,  kaolin,  and  yellow  ochre.  There  are  also  one  or 
two  localities  on  the  island  where  a  flow  of  petroleum 
is  found,  of  which  some  use  is  made.  It  is  called 
Barbadoes  tar,  and  were  the  supply  sufficient  to  war- 
rant the  use  of  refining  machinery,  it  would  undoubt- 
edly produce  a  good  burning  fluid.  There  is  a  "burn- 
ing well,"  situated  in  what  is  known  as  the  Scotland 
District,  where  the  water  emerging  from  the  earth 
forms  a  pool,  which  is  kept  in  a  state  of  ebullition  from 
the  inflanunable  air  or  gas  which  passes  through  it. 
This  gas,  when  lighted  by  a  match,  burns  freely  until 
extinguished  by  artificial  means,  not  rising  in  large 
enough  quantities  to  make  a  great  flame,  but  still 
sufficient  to  create  the  effect  of  burning  water,  and 
forming  quite  a  curiosity. 

There  are  no  mountains  on  the  island,  but  the  land 
is  undulating,  and  broken  into  hills  and  dales;  one 
elevation,  known  as  Mount  Hillaby,  reaches  a  thou- 
sand feet  and  more  above  the  level  of  tide  waters.' 

One  of  the  most  serious  pests  ever,  known  at  Bar- 
badoes was  the  introduction  of  ants,  by  slave-ships 
from  Africa.  No  expedient  of  human  ingenuity  served 
to  rid  the  place  of  their  destructive  presence,  and  it 
was  at  one  time  seriously  proposed  to  abandon  the 
island  on  this  account.  After  a  certain  period  nature 
came  to  the  rescue.  She  does  all  things  royally,  and 
the  hurricane  of  1780  completely  annihilated  the  ver- 
min.    Verily,  it  was  appropriate  to  call  Barbadoes  in 


ISLAND  EXPORTS.  57 

those  days  the  Ant-illes  !  It  appears  that  there  is  no 
affliction  quite  unmixed  with  good,  and  that  we  must 
put  a  certain  degree  of  faith  in  the  law  of  compensa- 
tion, however  great  the  seeming  evil  under  which  we 
suffer.  To  our  limited  power  of  comprehension,  a 
destructive  hurricane  does  seem  an  extreme  resort  by 
which  to  crush  out  an  insect  pest.  The  query  might 
even  arise,  with  some  minds,  whether  the  cure  was 
not  worse  than  the  disorder. 

The  exports  from  the  island  consist  almost  wholly 
of  molasses,  sugar,  and  rum,  products  of  the  cane, 
which  grows  all  over  the  place,  in  every  nook  and 
corner,  from  hilltop  to  water's  edge.  The  annual  ex- 
port, as  already  intimated,  is  considerably  over  sixty 
thousand  hogsheads.  Sugar  cannot,  however,  be  called 
king  of  any  one  section,  since  half  of  the  amount 
manufactured  in  the  whole  world  is  the  product  of 
the  beet  root,  the  growth  of  which  is  liberally  subsi- 
dized by  more  than  one  European  government,  in  or- 
der to  foster  local  industry.  Like  St.  Thomas,  this 
island  has  been  almost  denuded  of  its  forest  growth, 
and  is  occasionally  liable,  as  we  have  seen,  to  destruc- 
tive hurricanes. 

Bridgetown  is  a  place  of  considerable  progress,  hav- 
ing several  benevolent  and  educational  institutions; 
it  also  possesses  railway,  telephone,  and  telegraphic 
service.  Its  export  trade  aggregates  over  seven  mil- 
lion dollars  per  annum,  to  accommodate  which  amount 
of  commerce  causes  a  busy  scene  nearly  all  the  time  in 
the  harbor.     The  steam  railway  referred  to  connects 


68  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

the  capital  with  the  Parish  of  St.  Andrews,  twenty- 
one  miles  away  on  the  other  side  of  the  island,  its 
terminus  being  at  the  thrifty  little  town  of  Bathsheba, 
a  popular  resort,  which  is  noted  for  its  fine  beach  and 
excellent  sea  bathing. 

The  cathedral  is  consecrated  to  the  established  reli- 
gion of  the  Church  of  England,  and  is  a  picturesque, 
time-worn  building,  surrounded,  after  the  style  of 
rural  England,  by  a  quaint  old  graveyard,  the  mon- 
uments and  slabs  of  which  are  gray  and  mossgrown, 
some  of  them  bearing  dates  of  the  earlier  portion  of 
the  sixteenth  century.  This  spot  forms  a  very  lovely, 
peaceful  picture,  where  the  graves  are  shaded  by  tree- 
ferns  and  stately  palms.  Somehow  one  cannot  but 
miss  the  tall,  slim  cypress,  which  to  the  European 
and  American  eye  seems  so  especially  appropriate  to 
such  a  spot.  There  were  clusters  of  low-growing 
mignonette,  which  gave  out  a  faint  perfume  exactly 
suited  to  the  solemn  shades  which  prevailed,  and 
here  and  there  bits  of  ground  enameled  with  blue- 
eyed  violets.  The  walls  of  the  inside  of  the  church 
are  covered  with  memorial  tablets,  and  there  is  an 
organ  of  great  power  and  sweetness  of  tone. 

The  "Ice  House,"  so  called,  at  Bridgetown  is  a 
popular  resort,  which  everybody  visits  who  comes  to 
Barbadoes.  Here  one  can  find  files  of  all  the  latest 
American  and  European  papers,  an  excellent  cafe, 
with  drinks  and  refreshments  of  every  conceivable 
character,  and  can  purchase  almost  any  desired  article 
from  a  toothpick  to  a  set  of  parlor  furniture.     It  is 


THE  ICE  HOUSE.  69 

a  public  library,  an  exchange,  a  "Bon  Marche,"  and 
an  artificial  ice  manufactory,  all  combined.  Stran- 
gers naturally  make  it  a  place  of  rendezvous.  It 
seemed  to  command  rather  more  of  the  average  citi- 
zen's attention  than  did  legitimate  business,  and  one 
is  forced  to  admit  that  although  the  drinks  which  were 
so  generously  dispensed  were  cool  and  appetizing,  they 
were  also  very  potent.  It  was  observed  that  some  in- 
dividuals, who  came  into  the  hospitable  doors  rather 
sober  and  dejected  in  expression  of  features,  were  apt 
to  go  out  just  a  little  jolly. 

The  Ice  House  is  an  institution  of  these  islands, 
to  be  found  at  St.  Thomas,  Demerara,  and  Trinidad, 
as  well  as  at  Barbadoes.  Havana  has  a  similar  re- 
treat, but  calls  it  a  cafe,  situated  on  the  Paseo,  near 
the  Tacon  Theatre. 

The  population  of  the  island  amounts  to  about  one 
hundred  and  seventy -two  thousand,  —  the  census  of 
1881  showed  it  to  be  a  trifle  less  than  this,  —  giving 
the  remarkable  density  of  one  thousand  and  more  per- 
sons to  the  square  mile,  thus  forming  an  immense 
human  bee-hive.  It  is  the  only  one  of  the  West 
Indian  islands  from  which  a  certain  amount  of  emi- 
gration is  necessary  annually.  The  large  negro  popu- 
lation makes  labor  almost  incredibly  cheap,  field-hands 
on  the  plantations  being  paid  only  one  shilling  per 
day ;  and  yet,  so  ardent  is  their  love  of  home  —  and 
the  island  is  home  to  them  —  that  only  a  few  can  be 
induced  to  leave  it  in  search  of  better  wages.  When 
it  is  remembered  that   the  State  of  Massachusetts, 


60  EQUATORIAL   AMERICA. 

which  is  considered  to  be  one  of  the  most  thickly 
populated  sections  of  the  United  States,  contains  but 
two  hundred  and  twenty  persons  to  the  square  mile, 
the  fact  that  this  West  Indian  island  supports  over 
one  thousand  inhabitants  in  the  same  average  space 
will  be  more  fully  appreciated.  Notwithstanding  this 
crowded  state  of  the  population,  we  were  intelligently 
informed  that  while  petty  offenses  are  common,  there 
is  a  marked  absence  of  serious  crimes. 

One  sees  few  if  any  signs  of  poverty  here.  It  is  a 
land  of  sugar-cane,  yams,  and  sweet  potatoes,  very 
prolific,  and  very  easily  tilled.  Some  of  the  most 
prosperous  men  on  the  island  are  colored  planters,  who 
own  their  large  establishments,  though  born  slaves, 
perhaps  on  the  very  ground  they  now  own.  They 
have  by  strict  economy  and  industry  saved  money 
enough  to  make  a  fair  beginning,  and  in  the  course  of 
years  have  gradually  acquired  wealth.  One  planta- 
tion, owned  by  a  colored  man,  born  of  slave  parents, 
was  pointed  out  to  us,  with  the  information  that  it 
was  worth  twenty  thousand  pounds  sterling,  and  that 
its  last  year's  crop  yielded  over  three  hundred  hogs- 
heads of  sugar,  besides  a  considerable  quantity  of 
molasses. 

England  maintains  at  heavy  expense  a  military 
depot  here,  from  which  to  draw  under  certain  circum- 
stances. There  is  no  local  necessity  for  supporting 
§uch  a  force.  Georgetown  is  a  busy  place.  Being  the 
most  seaward  of  the  West  Indies,  it  has  become  the 
chief  port  of  call  for  ships  navigating  these  seas.    The 


AN  EQUABLE   CLIMATE.  61 

Caribbees  are  divided  by  geographers  into  the  Wind- 
ward and  Leeward  islands,  in  accordance  with  the  di- 
rection in  which  they  lie  with  regard  to  the  prevailing 
winds.  They  are  in  very  deep  water,  the  neighboring 
sea  having  a  mean  depth  of  fifteen  hundred  fathoms. 
Being  so  far  eastward,  Barbadoes  enjoys  an  exception- 
ally equable  climate,  and  it  is  claimed  for  it  that  it 
has  a  lower  thermometer  than  any  other  West  Indian 
island.  Its  latitude  is  13°  4'  north,  longitude  59°  37' 
west,  within  eight  hundred  miles  of  the  equator.  The 
prevailing  wind  blows  from  the  northeast,  over  the 
broad,  unobstructed  Atlantic,  rendering  the  evenings 
almost  always  delightfully  cool,  tempered  by  this 
grateful  tonic  breath  of  the  ocean. 

Trafalgar  Square,  Bridgetown,  contains  a  hand- 
some fountain,  and  a  bronze  statue  of  Nelson  which, 
as  a  work  of  art,  is  simply  atrocious.  From  this 
broad,  open  square  the  tramway  cars  start,  and  it 
also  foi-ms  a  general  business  centre. 

The  home  government  supports,  besides  its  other 
troops,  a  regiment  of  negroes  uniformed  as  Zouaves  and 
officered  by  white  men.  The  police  of  Bridgetown 
are  also  colored  men.  Slavery  was  abolished  here  in 
1833.  Everything  is  so  thoroughly  English,  that  only 
the  temperature,  together  with  the  vegetation,  tells 
the  story  of  latitude  and  longitude.  The  soil  has  been 
so  closely  cultivated  as  to  have  become  partially  ex- 
hausted, and  this  is  the  only  West  Indian  island,  if 
we  are  correctly  informed,  where  artificial  enrichment 
is  considered  necessary  to  stimulate  the  native  soil,  or 


62  EQUATORIAL   AMERICA. 

where  it  has  ever  been  freely  used.  "I  question," 
said  an  intelligent  planter  to  us,  "whether  we  should 
not  be  better  off  to-day,  if  we  had  not  so  overstimu- 
lated,  in  fact,  burned  out,  our  land  with  guano  and 
phosphates."  These  are  to  the  ground  like  intoxi- 
cants to  human  beings,  —  if  over-indulged  in  they  are 
fatal,  and  even  the  partial  use  is  of  questionable  ad- 
vantage. The  Chinese  and  Japanese  apply  only  do- 
mestic refuse  in  their  fields  as  a  manure,  and  no  people 
obtain  such  grand  results  as  they  do  in  agriculture. 
They  know  nothing  of  patent  preparations  employed 
for  such  purposes,  and  yet  will  render  a  spot  of 
ground  profitable  which  a  European  would  look  upon 
as  absolutely  not  worth  cultivating. 

In  any  direction  from  Bridgetown  going  inland, 
miles  upon  miles  of  plantations  are  seen  bearing  the 
bright  green  sugar-cane,  turning  to  yellow  as  it  ripens, 
and  giving  splendid  promise  for  the  harvest.  Here 
and  there  are  grouped  a  low  cluster  of  cabins,  which 
form  the  quarters  of  the  negroes  attached  to  the  plan- 
tation, while  close  at  hand  the  tall  chimney  of  the 
sugar  mill  looms  over  the  surrounding  foliage.  A 
little  one  side,  shaded  by  some  palms,  is  the  planter's 
neat  and  attractive  residence,  painted  snow  white,  in 
contrast  to  the  deep  greenery  surrounding  it,  and  hav- 
ing a  few  flower  beds  in  its  front. 

The  Marine  Hotel,  which  is  admirably  situated  on 
a  rocky  point  at  Hastings,  three  hundred  feet  above 
the  beach,  is  about  a  league  from  the  city,  and  forms 
a  favorite  resort  for  the  townspeople.     The  house  is 


GAMBLING  PROPENSITIES.  63 

capable  of  accommodating  three  hundred  guests  at  a 
time.  Its  spacious  piazzas  fronting  the  ocean  are  con- 
stantly fanned  by  the  northeast  trades  from  October 
to  March.  Some  New  York  families  regard  the  place 
as  a  choice  winter  resort,  the  thermometer  rarely  indi- 
cating over  80°  Fahr.,  or  falling  below  70°.  This  sub- 
urb of  Hastings  is  the  location  of  the  army  barracks, 
where  a  broad  plain  affords  admirable  space  for  drill 
and  military  manoeuvres.  There  is  a  monument  at 
Hastings,  raised  to  the  memory  of  the  victims  of  the 
hurricane  of  1831,  which  seems  to  be  rather  unpleas- 
antly suggestive  of  future  possibilities.  Near  at  hand 
is  a  well-arranged  mile  racecourse,  a  spot  very  dear 
to  the  army  officers,  where  during  the  racing  season 
any  amount  of  money  is  lost  and  won.  There  seems 
to  be  something  in  this  tropical  climate  which  incites 
to  all  sorts  of  gambling,  and  the  habit  among  the 
people  is  so  common  as  to  be  looked  upon  with  great 
leniency.  Just  so,  at  some  of  the  summer  resorts  of 
the  south  of  France,  Italy,  and  Germany,  ladies  or 
gentlemen  will  frankly  say,  "  I  am  going  to  the  Ca- 
sino for  a  little  gambling,  but  will  be  back  again  by 
and  by." 

The  roads  in  the  vicinity  of  Bridgetown  are  admira- 
bly kept,  all  being  macadamized,  but  the  dust  which 
rises  from  the  pulverized  coral  rock  is  nearly  blinding, 
and  together  with  the  reflection  caused  by  the  sun  on 
the  snow  white  roads  proves  very  trying  to  the  eye- 
sight. The  dust  and  glare  are  serious  drawbacks  to 
the  enjoyment  of  these  environs. 


64  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

As  we  have  said,  hurricanes  have  proved  very  fatal 
at  Barbadoes.  In  1780,  four  thousand  persons  were 
swept  out  of  existence  in  a  few  hours  by  the  irresisti- 
ble fury  of  a  tornado.  So  late  as  1831,  the  loss  of  life 
by  a  similar  visitation  was  over  two  thousand,  while 
the  loss  of  property  aggregated  some  two  million 
pounds  sterling.  The  experience  has  not,  however, 
been  so  severe  here  as  at  several  of  the  other  islands. 
At  the  time  of  the  hurricane  just  referred  to,  Bar- 
badoes was  covered  with  a  coat  of  sulphurous  ashes 
nearly  an  inch  thick,  which  was  afterwards  found  to 
have  come  from  the  island  of  St.  Vincent,  where 
what  is  called  Brimstone  Mountain  burst  forth  in 
flames  and  laid  that  island  also  in  ashes.  It  is  in- 
teresting to  note  that  there  should  have  been  such 
intimate  relationship  shown  between  a  great  atmos- 
pheric disturbance  like  a  hurricane  and  an  under- 
ground agitation  as  evinced  by  the  eruption  of  a  vol- 
cano. 

It  should  be  mentioned  that  these  hurricanes  have 
never  been  known  to  pass  a  certain  limit  north  or 
south,  their  ravages  having  always  been  confined  be- 
tween the  eleventh  and  twenty-first  degrees  of  north 
latitude. 

It  appears  that  some  curious  Carib  implements  were 
found  not  long  since  just  below  the  surface  of  the 
earth  on  the  south  shore  of  the  bay,  which  are  to  be 
forwarded  to  the  British  Museum,  London.  These 
were  of  hard  stone,  and  were  thought  by  the  find- 
ers to  have  been  used  by  the  aborigines  to  fell  trees. 


EDUCATIONAL   FACILITIES.  65 

Some  were  thick  shells,  doubtless  employed  by  the 
Indians  in  the  rude  cultivation  of  maize,  grown  here 
four  or  five  hundred  years  ago.  It  was  said  that 
these  stone  implements  resembled  those  which  have 
been  found  from  time  to  time  in  Norway  and  Sweden. 
If  this  is  correct,  it  is  an  important  fact  for  antiqua- 
rians to  base  a  theory  upon.  Some  scientists  believe 
that  there  was,  in  prehistoric  times,  an  intimate  rela- 
tionship between  Scandinavia  and  the  continent  of 
America. 

Though  there  are  several  public  schools  in  Bridge- 
town, both  primary  and  advanced,  we  were  somehow 
impressed  with  the  idea  that  education  for  the  com- 
mon people  was  not  fostered  in  a  manner  worthy  of  a 
British  colony  of  so  long  standing ;  but  this  is  the  im- 
pression of  a  casual  observer  only.  There  is  a  college 
situated  ten  or  twelve  miles  from  the  city,  founded  by 
Sir  Christopher  Codrington,  which  has  achieved  a  high 
reputation  as  an  educational  institution  in  its  chosen 
field  of  operation.  It  is  a  large  structure  of  white 
stone,  well  arranged,  and  is,  as  we  were  told,  consis- 
tent with  the  spirit  of  the  times.  It  has  the  dignity 
of  ripened  experience,  having  been  opened  in  1744. 
The  professors  are  from  Europe.  A  delicious  fresh 
water  spring  rises  to  the  surface  of  the  land  just  below 
the  cliff,  at  Codrington  College,  a  blessing  which  peo- 
ple who  live  in  the  tropics  know  how  to  appreciate. 
There  is  also  at  Bridgetown  what  is  known  as  Harri- 
son's College,  which,  however,  is  simply  a  high  school 
devoted  exclusively  to  girls. 


66  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

The  island  is  not  exempt  from  occasional  prevalence 
of  tropical  fevers,  but  may  be  considered  a  healthy 
resort  upon  the  whole.  Leprosy  is  not  unknown 
among  the  lower  classes,  and  elephantiasis  is  fre- 
quently to  be  met  with.  This  disease  is  known  in  the 
West  Indies  as  the  "Barbadoes  Leg."  Sometimes  a 
native  may  be  seen  on  the  streets  with  one  of  his  legs 
swollen  to  the  size  of  his  body.  There  is  no  known 
cure  for  this  disease  except  the  surgeon's  knife,  and 
the  removal  of  the  victim  from  the  region  where  it 
first  developed  itself.  The  author  has  seen  terrible 
cases  of  elephantiasis  among  the  natives  of  the  Sa- 
moan  group  of  islands,  where  this  strange  and  unac- 
countable disease  is  thought  to  have  reached  its  most 
extreme  and  repulsive  development.  Foreigners  are 
seldom  if  ever  afflicted  with  it,  either  in  the  West 
Indies  or  the  South  Pacific. 

We  are  to  sail  to-night.  A  few  passengers  and  a 
quantity  of  freight  have  been  landed,  while  some  heavy 
merchandise  has  been  received  on  board,  designed  for 
continental  ports  to  the  southward.  The  afternoon 
shadows  lengthen  upon  the  shore,  and  the  sunset  hour, 
so  brief  in  this  latitude,  approaches.  The  traveler 
who  has  learned  to  love  the  lingering  twilight  of  the 
north  misses  these  most  charming  hours  whep  in  equa- 
torial regions,  but  as  the  goddess  of  night  wraps  her 
sombre  mantle  about  her,  it  is  so  superbly  decked  with 
diamond  stars  that  the  departed  daylight  is  hardly 
regretted.  It  is  like  the  prompter's  ringing  up  of  the 
curtain  upon  a  complete  theatrical  scene ;  the  glory  of 


INFLUENCE   OF   THE   TROPICS.  67 

the  tropical  sky  bursts  at  once  upon  the  vision  in  all 
its  completeness,  its  burning  constellations,  its  soli- 
taire brilliants,  its  depth  of  azure,  and  its  mysterious 
Milky  Way. 

While  sitting  under  the  awning  upon  deck,  watch- 
ing the  gentle  swaying  palms  and  tall  fern-trees,  lis- 
tening to  the  low  drone  of  busy  life  in  the  town,  and 
breathing  the  sweet  exhalations  of  tropical  fruits  and 
flowers,  a  trance-like  sensation  suffuses  the  brain.  Is 
this  the  dolce  far  niente  of  the  Italians,  the  sweet 
do-nothing  of  the  tropics?  To  us,  however  defined, 
it  was  a  waking  dream  of  sensuous  delight,  of  entire 
content.  How  far  away  sounds  the  noise  of  the 
steam-winch,  the  sharp  chafing  of  the  iron  pulleys, 
the  prompt  orders  of  the  officer  of  the  deck,  the  swing- 
ing of  the  ponderous  yards,  the  rattling  of  the  anchor 
chain  as  it  comes  in  through  the  hawse  hole,  while  the 
ship  gradually  loses  her  hold  upon  the  land.  With 
half  closed  eyes  we  scarcely  heard  these  many  signifi- 
cant sounds,  but  floated  peacefully  on  in  an  Eden  of 
fancy,  quietly  leaving  Carlisle  Bay  far  behind. 

Our  course  was  to  the  southward,  while  everything, 
high  and  low,  was  bathed  in  a  flood  of  shimmering 
moonlight,  the  magic  alchemy  of  the  sky,  whose  in- 
fluence etherealizes  all  upon  which  it  rests. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Curious  Ocean  Experiences. — The  Delicate  Nautilus. — Flying- Fish. 

—  The  Southern  Cross.  —  Speaking  a  Ship  at  Sea.  —  Scientific 
Navigation. — South   America  as  a   Whole.  —  Fauna    and  Flora. 

—  Natural  Resources  of  a  Wonderful  Land.  —  Rivers,  Plains, 
and  Mountain  Ranges.  —  Aboriginal  Tribes.  —  Population.  —  Po- 
litical Divisions.  —  Civil  Wars.  —  Weakness  of  South  American 
States. 

The  sudden  appearance  of  a  school  of  flying-fish 
gliding  swiftly  through  the  air  for  six  or  eight  rods 
just  above  the  rippling  waves,  and  then  sinking  from 
sight ;  the  sportive  escort  of  half  a  hundred  slate- 
colored  porpoises,  leaping  high  out  of  the  water  on 
either  bow  of  the  ship  only  to  plunge  back  again, 
describing  graceful  curves  ;  the  constant  presence  of 
that  sullen  tiger  of  the  ocean,  the  voracious,  man- 
eating  shark,  betrayed  by  its  dorsal  fin  showing  above 
the  surface  of  the  sea ;  the  sporting  of  mammoth 
whales,  sending  columns  of  water  high  in  air  from 
their  blowholes,  and  lashing  the  waves  playfully  with 
their  broad-spread  tails,  are  events  at  sea  too  com- 
monplace to  comment  upon  in  detail,  though  they 
tend  to  while  away  the  inevitable  monotony  of  a  long 
voyage. 

Speaking  of  flying-fish,  there  is  more  in  the  flying 
capacity  of  this  little  creature  than  is  generally  ad- 


DARING  NAVIGATORS.  69 

mitted,  else  why  has  it  wings  on  the  forward  part  of 
its  body,  each  measuring  seven  inches  in  length  ?  If 
designed  only  for  fins,  they  are  altogether  out  of  pro- 
portion to  the  rest  of  its  body.  They  are  manifestly 
intended  for  just  the  use  to  which  the  creature  puts 
them.     One  was  brought  to  us  by  a  seaman ;  _ 

got  on  board  we  know  not,  but  it  measur^^P|yig^*^ 
inches  from  the  nose  to  the  tip  of  the  tai^^Pind  was 
in  shape  and  size  very  much  like  a  sn^T  mackerel. 
After  leaving  Barbadoes,  we  got  into  what  sailors  call 
the  flying-fish  latitudes,  where  they  appear  constantly 
in  their  low,  rapid  flight,  sometimes  singly,  but  of tener 
in  small  schools  of  a  score  or  more,  creating  flashes 
of  silvery-blue  lustre.  The  most  careful  observation 
could  detect  no  vibration  of  the  long,  extended  fins ; 
the  tiny  fish  sailed,  as  it  were,  upon  the  wind,  the 
flight  of  the  giant  albatross  in  miniature. 

One  afternoon,  when  the  sea  was  scarcely  dimpled 
by  the  soft  trade  wind,  we  came  suddenly  upon  myriads 
of  that  little  fairy  of  the  ocean,  the  gossamer  nautilus, 
with  its  Greek  gaUeon  shape,  and  as  frail,  apparently, 
as  a  spider's  web.  What  a  gondola  it  would  make 
for  Queen  Mab  !  How  delicate  and  transparent  it 
is,  while  radiating  prismatic  colors  I  A  touch  might 
dismember  it,  yet  what  a  daring  navigator,  floating 
confidently  upon  the  sea  where  the  depth  is  a  thou- 
sand fathoms,  liable  at  any  moment  to  be  changed 
into  raging  billows  by  an  angry  storm  !  How  minute 
the  vitality  of  this  graceful  atom,  a  creature  whose 
existence  is  perhaps  for  only  a  single  day ;  yet  how 


70  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

grand  and  limitless  the  system  of  life  and  creation  of 
which  it  is  so  humble  a  representative  !  Sailors  call 
these  frail  marine  creatures  Portuguese  men-of-war. 
Possessing  some  singular  facility  for  doing  so,  if  they 
are  disturbed,  they  quickly  furl  their  sails  and  sink 
below  the  surface  of  the  buoyant  waves  into  deep  wa- 
ter, the  home  of  the  octopus,  the  squid,  and  the  vora- 
cious shark.  Did  they,  one  is  led  to  query,  navigate 
these  seas  after  tliis  fashion  before  the  Northmen  came 
across  the  ocean,  and  before  Columbus  landed  at  San 
Salvador  ?  At  night  the  glory  of  the  southern  hemi- 
sphere, as  revealed  in  new  constellations  and  brighter 
stars  brought  into  view,  was  observed  with  keenest 
interest,  —  "  Everlasting  Night,  with  her  star  diadems, 
with  her  silence,  and  her  verities."  The  phospho- 
rescence of  the  sea,  with  its  scintUlations  of  brilliant 
light,  its  ripples  of  liquid  fire,  the  crest  of  each  wave 
a  flaming  cascade,  was  a  charming  phenomenon  one 
never  tired  of  watching.  If  it  be  the  combination  of 
millions  and  billions  of  animalculae  which  thus  illu- 
mines the  waters,  then  these  infinitesimal  creatures  are 
the  fireflies  of  the  ocean,  as  the  cucuios,  that  fairy 
torch-bearer,  is  of  the  land.  Gliding  on  the  magic 
mirror  of  the  South  Atlantic,  in  which  the  combined 
glory  of  the  sky  was  reflected  with  singular  clearness, 
it  seemed  as  though  we  were  sailing  over  a  starry  world 
below. 

While  observing  the  moon  in  its  beautiful  series 
of  changes,  lighting  our  way  by  its  chaste  effulgence 
night  after  night,  it  was  difficidt  to  realize  that  it 


THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS.  71 

shines  entirely  by  the  light  which  it  borrows  from  the 
sun  ;  but  it  was  easy  to  believe  the  simpler  fact,  that 
of  all  the  countless  hosts  of  the  celestial  bodies,  she 
is  our  nearest  neighbor.  "  An  eighteen-foot  telescope 
reveals  to  the  human  eye  over  forty  million  stars," 
said  Captain  Baker,  as  we  stood  together  gazing  at 
the  luminous  heavens.  "  And  if  we  entertain  the  gen- 
erally accepted  idea,"  he  continued,  "  we  must  believe 
that  each  one  of  that  enormous  aggregate  of  stars  is 
the  centre  of  a  solar  system  similar  to  our  own."  The 
known  facts  relating  to  the  stars,  like  stellar  distances, 
are  almost  incomprehensible. 

One  cannot  but  realize  that  there  is  always  a  cer- 
tain amount  of  sentiment  wasted  on  the  constellation 
known  as  the  Southern  Cross  by  passengers  bound 
to  the  lands  and  seas  over  which  it  hangs.  Orion  or 
the  Pleiades,  either  of  them,  is  infinitely  superior  in 
point  of  brilliancy,  symmetry,  and  individuality.  A 
lively  imagination  is  necessary  to  endow  this  irregu- 
lar cluster  of  stars  with  any  real  resemblance  to  the 
Christian  emblem  for  which  it  is  named.  It  serves 
the  navigator  in  the  southern  hemisphere,  in  part,  the 
same  purpose  which  the  north  star  does  in  our  portion 
of  the  globe,  and  there  our  own  respect  for  it  as  a 
constellation  ends.  Much  poetic  talent  has  been  ex- 
pended for  ages  to  idealize  the  Southern  Cross,  which 
is,  alas  !  no  cross  at  all.  We  have  seen  a  person  un- 
familiar with  the  locality  of  this  constellation  strive 
long  and  patiently,  but  in  vain,  to  find  it.  It  should 
be  remembered  that  two  prominent  stars  in  Centaurus 


72  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

point  directly  to  it.  The  one  furthest  from  the  so- 
called  cross  is  held  to  be  the  fixed  star  nearest  to  the 
earth,  but  its  distance  from  us  is  twenty  thousand 
times  farther  than  that  of  the  sun. 

We  have  never  yet  met  a  person,  looking  upon  this 
cluster  of  the  heavens  for  the  first  time,  who  did  not 
frankly  express  his  disappointment.  Anticipation  and 
fruition  are  oftenest  at  antipodes. 

The  graceful  marine  birds  which  foUow  the  ship, 
day  after  day,  darting  hither  and  thither  with  arrowy 
swiftness,  lured  by  the  occasional  refuse  thrown  from 
on  board,  would  be  seriously  missed  were  they  to  leave 
us.  Watching  their  aerial  movements  and  untiring 
power  of  wing,  while  listening  to  their  sharp  com- 
plaining cries,  is  a  source  of  constant  amusement. 
Even  rough  weather  and  a  raging  sea,  if  not  accom- 
panied by  too  serious  a  storm,  is  sometimes  welcome, 
serving  to  awaken  the  ship  from  its  dull  propriety, 
and  to  put  officers,  crew,  and  passengers  upon  their 
mettle.  To  speak  a  strange  vessel  at  sea  is  always 
interesting.  If  it  is  a  steamer,  a  long,  black  wake 
of  smoke  hanging  among  the  clouds  at  the  horizon 
betrays  her  proximity  long  before  the  hidl  is  sighted. 
All  eyes  are  on  the  watch  until  she  comes  clearly 
within  the  line  of  vision,  gradually  increasing  in  size 
and  distinctness  of  outline,  until  presently  the  spars 
and  rigging  are  minutely  delineated.  Then  specula- 
tion is  rife  as  to  whence  she  comes  and  where  she 
is  going.  By  and  by  the  two  ships  approa(!h  so  near 
that  signal  flags  can  be  read,  and  the  captains  talk 


THE   WATCH  OF  THE  SKY.  73 

with  each  other,  exchanging  names,  whither  bound, 
and  so  on.  Then  each  commander  dips  his  flag  in 
compliment  to  the  other,  and  the  ships  rapidly  sepa- 
rate. All  of  this  is  commonplace  enough,  but  serves 
to  while  away  an  hour,  and  insures  a  report  of  our 
progress  and  safety  at  the  date  of  meeting,  when  the 
stranger  reaches  his  port  of  destination. 

We  have  spoken  of  the  pleasure  experienced  at  sea 
in  watching  intelligently  the  various  phases  of  the 
moon.  The  subject  is  a  prolific  one  ;  a  whole  chapter 
might  be  written  upon  it. 

It  is  perhaps  hardly  realized  by  the  average  lands- 
man, and  indeed  by  few  who  constantly  cross  the 
ocean,  with  their  thoughts  and  interests  absorbed  by 
the  many  attractive  novelties  of  the  ocean,  how  impor- 
tant a  part  this  great  luminary  plays  in  the  navigation 
of  a  ship.  It  is  to  the  intelligent  and  observant 
mariner  the  never-failing  watch  of  the  sky,  the  stars 
performing  the  part  of  hands  to  designate  the  proper 
figure  upon  the  dial.  If  there  is  occasion  to  doubt  the 
correctness  of  his  chronometer,  the  captain  of  the  ship 
can  verify  its  figures  or  correct  them  by  this  planet. 
Every  minute  that  the  chronometer  is  wrong,  assimi- 
ing  that  it  be  so,  may  put  him  fifteen  miles  out  of 
his  reckoning,  which,  under  some  circumstances,  might 
prove  to  be  a  fatal  error,  even  leading  to  the  loss  of 
his  ship  and  all  on  board.  To  find  his  precise  location 
upon  the  ocean,  the  navigator  requires  both  Greenwich 
time  and  local  meridian  time,  the  latter  obtained  by 
the  sun  on   shipboard,  exactly  at  midday.     To  get 


74,  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

Greenwich  time  by  lunar  observation,  the  captain,  for 
example,  finds  that  the  moon  is  three  degrees  from  the 
star  Regulus.  By  referring  to  his  nautical  almanac 
he  sees  recorded  there  the  Greenwich  time  at  which 
the  moon  was  three  degrees  from  that  particidar  star. 
He  then  compares  his  chronometer  with  these  figures, 
and  either  confirms  or  corrects  its  indication.  It  is 
interesting  to  the  traveler  to  observe  and  under- 
stand these  important  resources,  which  science  has 
brought  to  bear  in  perfecting  his  safety  on  the  ocean, 
promoting  the  interests  of  commerce,  and  in  aid  of 
correct  navigation.  The  experienced  captain  of  a  ship 
now  lays  his  course  as  surely  by  compass,  after  satis- 
fying himself  by  these  various  means  of  his  exact 
position,  as  though  the  point  of  his  destination  was 
straight  before  him  all  the  while,  and  visible  from  the 
pilot  house. 

How  indescribable  is  the  grandeur  of  these  serene 
nights  on  the  ocean,  fanned  by  the  somnolent  trade 
winds  ;  a  little  lonely,  perhaps,  but  so  blessed  with  the 
hallowed  benediction  of  the  moonlight,  so  gorgeously 
decorated  by  the  glittering  images  of  the  studded 
heavens,  so  sweet  and  pure  and  fragrant  is  the  breath 
of  the  sleeping  wind  I  If  one  listens  intently,  there 
seems  to  come  to  the  senses  a  whispering  of  the  waves, 
as  though  the  sea  in  confidence  would  teU  its  secrets 
to  a  willing  ear. 

The  ship  heads  almost  due  south  after  leaving  Bar- 
badoes,  when  her  destination  is,  as  in  our  case.  Para, 
twelve  hundred  miles  away.     On  this  course  we  en- 


THE  SOUTHERN  CONTINENT.  75 

counter  the  equatorial  current,  which  runs  northward 
at  a  rate  of  two  miles  in  an  hour,  and  at  some  points 
reaches  a  much  higher  rate  of  speed. 

As  eternal  vigilance  is  the  price  of  liberty,  so  eter- 
nal scrubbing  is  the  price  of  cleanliness  on  shipboard. 
The  deck  hands  are  at  it  from  five  o'clock  in  the 
morning  until  sunset.  Our  good  ship  looks  as  if  she 
had  just  come  out  of  dock.  Last  night's  gale,  which 
in  its  angry  turmoil  tossed  us  about  so  recklessly,  cov- 
ered her  with  a  saline,  sticky  deposit ;  but  with  the 
rising  of  the  sun  all  this  disappears  as  if  by  magic. 
The  many  brass  mountings  shine  with  dazzling  lustre, 
and  the  white  paint  contrasts  with  the  well-tarred 
cordage  which  forms  the  standing  rigging. 

While  the  ship  pursues  her  course  through  the  far- 
reaching  ocean,  let  us  sketch  in  outline  the  general 
characteristics  of  South  America,  whither  we  are 
bound. 

It  is  a  country  containing  twice  the  area,  though 
not  quite  one  half  the  amount  of  population,  of  the 
United  States,  a  land  which,  though  now  presenting 
nearly  all  phases  of  civilization,  was  four  centuries 
ago  mostly  inhabited  by  nomadic  tribes  of  savages, 
who  knew  nothing  of  the  horse,  the  ox,  or  the  sheep, 
which  to-day  form  so  great  and  important  a  source  of 
its  wealth,  and  where  wheat,  its  prevailing  staple,  was 
also  unknown.  It  is  a  land  overflowing  with  native 
riches,  which  possesses  an  unlimited  capacity  of  pro- 
duction, and  whose  large  and  increasing  population 
requires  just  such  domestic  supplies  as  we  of  the  north 


76  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

can  profitably  furnish.  The  important  treaty  of  reci- 
procity, so  lately  arranged  between  the  giant  province 
of  Brazil  —  or  rather  we  should  say  the  Republic  of 
Brazil  —  and  our  own  country,  is  already  developing 
new  and  increasing  channels  of  trade  for  our  shippers 
and  producers  of  the  great  staples,  as  well  as  throwing 
open  to  us  a  new  nation  of  consumers  for  our  special 
articles  of  manufacture.  Facts  speak  louder  than 
words.  On  the  voyage  in  which  the  author  sailed  in 
the  Vigilancia,  she  took  over  twenty  thousand  bar- 
rels of  flour  to  lirazil  from  the  United  States,  and 
would  have  taken  more  had  her  capacity  admitted. 
Every  foot  of  space  on  board  was  engaged  for  the 
return  voyage,  twelve  thousand  bags  of  coffee  being 
shipped  from  Rio  Janeiro  alone,  besides  nearly  as 
large  a  consignment  of  coffee  from  Santos,  in  the  same 
republic.  The  great  mutual  benefit  which  must  accrue 
from  this  friendly  compact  with  an  enterprising  foreign 
country  can  hardly  be  overestimated.  These  consid- 
erations lead  to  a  community  of  interests,  which  will 
grow  by  every  reasonable  means  of  familiarizing  the 
people  of  the  two  countries  with  each  other.  Hence 
the  possible  and  practical  value  of  such  a  work  as  the 
one  in  hand. 

By  briefly  consulting  one  of  the  many  cheap  and 
excellent  maps  of  the  western  hemisphere,  the  patient 
reader  will  be  enabled  to  follow  the  route  taken  by  the 
author  with  increased  interest  and  a  clearer  under- 
standing. 

It  is  surprising,  in  conversing  with  otherwise  Intel- 


EXTENT   OF  SOUTH  AMERICA.  77 

ligent  and  well-informed  people,  to  find  how  few  there 
are,  comparatively  speaking,  who  have  any  fixed  and 
clear  idea  relative  to  so  large  a  portion  of  the  habitable 
globe  as  South  America.  The  average  individual 
seems  to  know  less  of  the  gigantic  river  Amazon  than 
he  does  of  the  mysterious  Nile,  and  is  less  familiar 
with  that  grand,  far-reaching  water-way,  the  Plate, 
than  he  is  with  the  sacred  Ganges ;  yet  one  can  ride 
from  Buenos  Ayres  in  the  Argentine  Republic,  across 
the  wild  pampas,  to  the  base  of  the  Andes  in  a  Pullman 
palace  car.  There  is  no  part  of  the  globe  concerning 
which  so  little  is  written,  and  no  other  portion  which 
is  not  more  sought  by  travelers  ;  in  short,  it  is  less 
known  to  the  average  North  American  than  New 
Zealand  or  Australia. 

The  vast  peninsula  which  we  caU  South  America 
is  connected  with  our  own  part  of  the  continent  by  the 
Isthmus  of  Panama  and  the  territory  designated  as 
Central  America.  Its  configuration  is  triangular,  and 
exhibits  in  many  respects  a  strong  similarity  to  the 
continents  of  Africa  and  Australia,  if  the  latter  gigan- 
tic island  may  be  called  a  continent.  It  extends  north 
and  south  nearly  five  thousand  miles,  or  from  latitude 
12°  30'  north  to  Cape  Horn  in  latitude  55°  59'  south. 
Its  greatest  width  from  east  to  west  is  a  little  over 
three  thousand  miles,  and  its  area,  according  to  the 
best  authorities,  is  nearly  seven  million  square  mUes. 
Three  fourths  of  this  country  lie  in  the  torrid  zone, 
though  as  a  whole  it  has  every  variety  of  climate, 
from  equatorial  heat  to  the  biting  frosts  of  alpine 


78  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

peaks.  Its  widespread  surface  consists  principally  of 
three  immense  plains,  watered  respectively  by  the 
Amazon,  Plate,  and  Orinoco  rivers.  This  spacious 
country  has  a  coast  line  of  over  sixteen  thousand 
miles  on  the  two  great  oceans,  with  comparatively  few 
indentures,  headlands,  or  bays,  though  at  the  extreme 
south  it  consists  of  a  maze  of  countless  small  islands, 
capes,  and  promontories,  of  which  Cape  Horn  forms 
the  outermost  point. 

The  Cordillera  of  the  Andes  extends  through  the 
whole  length  of  this  giant  peninsiJa,  from  the  Strait  of 
Magellan  to  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  a  distance  of 
forty-five  hundred  miles,  forming  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  physical  features  of  the  globe,  and  pre- 
senting the  highest  mountains  on  its  surface,  except 
those  of  the  snowy  Himalayas  which  separate  India 
from  Thibet.  The  principal  range  of  the  Andes  runs 
nearly  parallel  with  the  Pacific  coast,  at  an  average 
distance  of  about  one  hundred  miles  from  it,  and  con- 
tains several  active  volcanoes.  If  we  were  to  believe 
a  late  school  geography,  published  in  London,  Coto- 
paxi,  one  famous  peak  of  this  Andean  range,  throws 
up  flames  three  thousand  feet  above  the  brink  of  its 
crater,  which  is  eighteen  thousand  feet  above  tide 
water  ;  but  to  be  on  the  safe  side,  let  us  reduce  these 
extraordinary  figures  at  least  one  half,  as  regards  the 
eruptive  power  of  Cotopaxi.  This  mountain  chain, 
near  the  border  between  Chili  and  Peru,  divides  into 
two  branches,  the  principal  one  still  called  the  Cor- 
dillera of  the  Andes,  and  the  other,  nearer  to  the  ocean, 


A   LAND   OF  PLAINS  AND  MOUNTAINS.        79 

the  Cordillera  de  la  Costa.  Between  these  ranges, 
about  three  thousand  feet  above  the  sea,  is  a  vast 
table-land  with  an  area  larger  than  that  of  France. 

It  will  be  observed  that  we  are  dealing  with  a 
country  which,  like  our  own,  is  one  of  magnificent 
distances.  It  is  difficult  for  the  nations  of  the  old 
world,  where  the  population  is  hived  together  in  such 
circumscribed  space,  to  realize  the  geographical  extent 
of  the  American  continent.  When  informed  that  it 
required  six  days  and  nights,  at  express  speed  upon 
well  equipped  railroads,  to  cross  the  United  States 
from  ocean  to  ocean,  a  certain  editor  in  London 
doubted  the  statement.  Outside  of  Her  Majesty's 
dominions,  the  average  Englishman  has  only  super- 
ficial ideas  of  geography.  The  frequent  blunders  of 
some  British  newspapers  in  these  matters  are  simply 
ridiculous. 

It  should  be  understood  that  South  America  is  a 
land  of  plains  as  well  as  of  lofty  mountains,  having 
the  llanos  of  the  Orinoco  region,  the  selvas  of  the 
Amazon,  and  the  pampas  of  the  Argentine  Republic. 
The  llanos  are  composed  of  a  region  about  as  large 
as  the  New  England  States,  so  level  that  the  motion  of 
the  rivers  can  hardly  be  discerned.  The  selvas  are 
for  the  most  part  vast  unbroken  forests,  in  which  giant 
trees,  thick  undergrowth,  and  entwining  creepers  com- 
bine to  form  a  nearly  impenetrable  region.  The  pam- 
pas lie  between  the  Andes  and  the  Atlantic  Ocean, 
stretching  southward  from  northern  Brazil  to  southern 
Patagonia,  affording  grass  sufficient  to  feed  innumer- 


80  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

able  herds  of  wild  cattle,  but  at  the  extreme  south  the 
country  sinks  into  half  overflowed  marshes  and  lagoons, 
resembling  the  glades  and  savannahs  of  Florida. 

The  largest  river  in  the  world,  namely,  the  Amazon, 
rises  in  the  Peruvian  Andes,  within  sixty  miles  of  the 
Pacific  Ocean,  and  flows  thousands  of  miles  in  a  gen- 
eral east-northeast  direction,  finally  emptying  into  the 
Atlantic  Ocean.  This  unequaled  river  course  is  nav- 
igable for  over  two  thousand  miles  from  its  mouth, 
which  is  situated  on  the  equatorial  line,  where  its  out- 
flow is  partially  impeded  by  the  island  of  Marajo,  a 
nearly  round  formation,  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
or  thereabouts  in  diameter.  This  remarkable  island 
divides  the  river's  outlet  into  two  passages,  the  largest 
of  which  is  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles  in  width,  form- 
ing an  estuary  of  extraordinary  dimensions.  The 
Amazon  has  twelve  tributaries,  each  one  of  which  is 
a  thousand  mUes  in  length,  not  to  count  its  hundreds 
of  smaller  ones,  while  the  main  stream  affords  water 
communication  from  the  Atlantic  Ocean  to  near  the 
foothills  of  the  Andes. 

We  are  simply  stating  a  series  of  condensed  geo- 
graphical facts,  from  which  the  intelligent  reader  can 
form  his  own  deductions  as  regards  the  undeveloped 
possibilities  of  this  great  southland. 

Our  own  mammoth  river,  the  Mississippi,  is  a  com- 
paratively shallow  stream,  with  a  shifting  channel 
and  dangerous  sandbanks,  which  impede  navigation 
throughout  the  most  of  its  course  ;  while  the  Amazon 
shows  an  average  depth  of  over  one  hundred  feet  for 


GREAT  RIVERS.  81 

the  first  thousand  miles  of  its  flow  from  the  Atlantic, 
forming  inland  seas  in  many  places,  so  spacious  that 
the  opposite  banks  are  not  within  sight  of  each  other. 
It  is  computed  by  good  authority  that  this  river,  with 
its  niunerous  affluents,  forms  a  system  of  navigable 
water  twenty-four  thousand  miles  in  length !  There* 
are  comparatively  few  towns  or  settlements  of  any 
importance  on  the  banks  of  the  Amazon,  which  flows 
mostly  through  a  dense,  unpeopled  evergreen  forest, 
not  absolutely  without  human  beings,  but  for  very 
long  distances  nearly  so.  Wild  animals,  anacondas 
and  other  reptiles,  together  with  many  varieties  of 
birds  and  numerous  tribes  of  monkeys,  make  up  the 
animal  life.  Now  and  again  a  settlement  of  European 
colonists  is  found,  or  a  rude  Indian  village  is  seen 
near  the  banks,  but  they  are  few  and  far  between. 
There  are  occasional  regions  of  low,  marshy  ground, 
which  are  malarious  at  certain  seasons,  but  the  average 
country  is  salubrious,  and  capable  of  supporting  a  pop- 
ulation of  millions. 

This  is  only  one  of  the  large  rivers  of  South  Amer- 
ica ;  there  are  many  others  of  grand  proportions.  The 
Plate  comes  next  to  it  in  magnitude,  having  a  length 
of  two  thousand  miles,  and  being  navigable  for  one  haK 
the  distance  from  its  mouth  at  all  seasons.  It  is  over 
sixty  miles  wide  at  Montevideo,  and  is  therefore  the 
widest  known  river.  Like  the  great  stream  already 
described,  it  traverses  a  country  remarkable  for  the 
fertility  of  its  soil,  but  very  thinly  settled.  The  Plate 
carries  to  the  ocean  four  fifths  as  much,  in  volume  of 


82  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

water,  as  does  tlie  miglity  Amazon,  the  watershed 
drained  by  it  exceeding  a  million  and  a  half  square 
miles.  One  can  only  conceive  of  the  true  magnitude 
of  such  figures  when  applied  to  the  land  by  compar- 
ing the  number  of  square  miles  contained  in  any  one 
'European  nation,  or  any  dozen  of  our  own  States. 

Juan  Diaz^de  Solis  discovered  the  estuary  of  the 
Plate  in  1508,  and  believed  it  at  that  time  to  be  a 
gulf,  but  on  a  second  voyage  from  Europe,  in  1516, 
he  ascended  the  river  a  considerable  distance,  and 
called  it  Mar  Dulce,  on  account  of  the  character  of 
the  waters.  Unfortunately,  this  intelligent  discoverer 
was  killed  by  Indian  arrows  on  attempting  to  land  at 
a  certain  point.  For  a  considerable  period  the  river 
was  called  after  him,  and  we  think  should  have  con- 
tinued to  be  so,  but  its  name  was  changed  to  the  Plate 
on  accoimt  of  the  conspicuous  silver  ornaments  worn 
in  great  profusion  by  the  natives,  which  they  freely 
exchanged  for  European  gewgaws. 

Though  nearly  four  hundred  years  have  passed  since 
its  discovery,  a  large  portion  of  the  country  still  re- 
mains comparatively  unexplored,  much  of  it  being  a 
wilderness  sparsely  inhabited  by  Indians,  many  of 
whom  are  without  a  vestige  of  civilization.  We  know 
as  little  of  portions  of  the  continent  as  we  do  of 
Central  Africa,  yet  there  is  no  section  of  the  globe 
which  suggests  a  greater  degree  of  physical  interest, 
or  which  would  respond  more  readily  and  profitably 
to  intelligent  effort  at  development.  When  the  Span- 
iards first  came  to  South  America,  it  was  only  in  Peru, 


WEALTH   OF  THE  INC  AS.  83 

the  land  of  the  Ineas,  that  they  found  natives  who  had 
made  any  substantial  progress  in  civilization.  The 
earliest  history  extant  relating  to  this  region  of  the 
globe  is  that  of  the  Incas,  a  warhke  race  of  sun-wor- 
shipers, who  possessed  enormous  treasures  of  gold  and 
silver,  and  who  erected  magnificent  temples  enriched 
with  the  precious  metals.  It  was  the  almost  fabu- 
lous wealth  of  the  Incas  that  led  to  their  destruction, 
tempting  the  cupidity  of  the  avaricious  Spaniards,  and 
causing  them  to  institute  a  system  of  cruelty,  oppres- 
sion, robbery,  and  bloodshed  which  finally  obliterated 
an  entire  people  from  the  face  of  the  globe.  The 
empire  of  the  Incas  extended  from  Quito,  in  Ecua- 
dor (on  the  equator),  to  the  river  Monte  in  Chili, 
and  eastward  to  the  Andes.  The  romantic  career  of 
Pizarro  and  Cortez  is  familiar  to  us  all.  There  are 
few  palliating  circumstances  connected  with  the  ad- 
vent of  the  Spaniards,  either  here,  in  the  West  In- 
dies, or  in  Mexico.  The  actual  motive  which  prompted 
their  invasion  of  this  foreign  soil  was  to  search  for 
mineral  treasures,  though  poKcy  led  them  to  cover 
their  bloodthirsty  deeds  with  a  pretense  of  religious 
zeal.  Their  first  acts  were  reckless,  cruel,  and  sangui- 
nary, followed  by  a  systematic  oppression  of  the  na- 
tive races  which  was  an  outrage  upon  humanity.  The 
world  at  large  profited  little  by  the  extortion  and 
golden  harvest  reaped  by  Spain,  to  realize  which  she 
adopted  a  policy  of  extermination,  both  in  Peru  and 
in  Mexico ;  but  let  it  be  remembered  that  her  own 
national  ruin  was  brought  about  with  poetical  justice 


84  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

by  the  very  excess  of  her  ill-gotten,  blood-stained  trea- 
sures. The  Spanish  historians  tell  us,  as  an  evidence 
of  the  persistent  bravery  of  their  ancestors,  that  it 
took  them  eight  hundred  years  of  constant  warfare  to 
wrest  Spain  from  her  Moorish  conquerors.  It  is  for 
us  to  remind  them  how  brief  has  been  the  continuance 
of  their  glory,  how  rapid  their  dechne  from  splendid 
continental  and  colonial  possessions  to  their  present 
condition,  that  of  the  weakest  and  most  insignificant 
power  in  Europe. 

There  are  localities  which  have  been  visited  by 
adventurous  explorers,  especially  in  Chili  and  Peru, 
w^iere  ruins  have  been  found,  and  various  monuments 
of  antiquity  examined,  of  vast  interest  to  archaeolo- 
gists, but  of  which  scarcely  more  than  their  mere  ex- 
istence is  recorded.  Some  of  these  ruins  are  believed 
to  antedate  by  centuries  the  period  of  the  Incas,  and 
are  supposed  to  be  the  remains  of  tribes  which,  judg- 
ing from  their  pottery  and  other  domestic  utensils, 
were  possibly  of  Asiatic  origin.  Comparatively  few 
travelers  have  visited  Lake  Titicaca,  in  the  Peruvian 
Andes,  with  its  sacred  islands  and  mysterious  ruins, 
from  whence  the  Incas  dated  their  mythical  origin. 
The  substantial  remains  of  some  grand  temples  are 
still  to  be  seen  on  the  islands  near  the  borders  of  the 
lake,  the  decaying  masonry  decked  here  and  there 
with  a  wild  growth  of  hardy  cactus.  This  remarkable 
body  of  water.  Lake  Titicaca,  in  the  mountain  range 
of  Peru,  lies  more  than  twelve  thousand  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  Pacific ;  yet  it  never  freezes,  and  its 


EXTENSIVE  FORESTS.  86 

average  depth  is  given  as  six  hundred  feet,  repre- 
senting an  immense  body  of  water.  It  covers  an  area 
of  four  thousand  square  miles,  which  is  about  four 
fifths  as  large  as  our  own  Lake  Ontario,  the  average 
depth  being  about  the  same.  Titicaca  is  the  largest 
lake  in  the  world  occupying  so  elevated  a  site. 

The  population  of  South  America  is  mostly  to  be 
found  on  the  coast,  and  is  thought  to  be  about  thirty- 
five  millions,  though,  all  things  considered,  we  are  dis- 
poned to  believe  this  an  overestimate.  There  are 
tribes  far  inland  who  are  not  brought  in  contact  with 
civilization  at  all,  and  whose  numbers  are  not  known. 
The  magnitude  and  density  of  the  forests  are  remark- 
able ;  they  cover,  it  is  intelligently  stated,  nearly  two 
thirds  of  the  country.  The  vegetation,  in  its  various 
forms,  is  rich  beyond  comparison.  Professor  Agassiz, 
who  explored  the  valley  of  the  Amazon  under  the  most 
favorable  auspices,  teUs  us  that  he  found  within  an 
area  of  half  a  mile  square  over  one  hundred  species  of 
trees,  among  which  were  nearly  all  of  the  choicest 
cabinet  and  dye  woods  known  to  the  tropics,  besides 
others  suitable  for  shipbuilding.  Some  of  these  trees 
are  remarkable  for  their  gigantic  size,  others  for  their 
beauty  of  form,  and  still  others  are  valuable  for  their 
giuns  and  resins.  Of  the  latter,  the  india-rubber  tree 
is  the  most  prolific  and  important  known  to  commerce. 
From  Brazil  comes  four  fifths  of  the  world's  supply 
of  the  raw  material  of  rubber. 

The  great  fertility  of  the  soil  generally  would  seem 
to  militate  against  the  true  progress  of  the  people  of 


86  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

South  America,  absolutely  discouraging,  rather  than 
stimulating  national  industry.  One  cannot  but  con- 
trast the  state  of  affaii's  in  this  respect  with  that  of 
North  America,  where  the  soU  is  so  much  less  produc- 
tive, and  where  the  climate  is  so  imiversally  rigorous. 
The  deduction  is  inevitable  that,  to  find  man  at  his 
best,  we  must  observe  him  where  his  skill,  energy,  and 
perseverance  are  all  required  to  achieve  a  livelihood, 
and  not  where  exuberant  nature  is  over-indulgent, 
over-productive.  The  coast,  the  valleys,  and  indeed 
the  main  portion  of  South  America  are  tropical,  but  a 
considerable  section  of  the  country  is  so  elevated  that 
its  climate  is  that  of  perpetual  spring,  resembling  the 
great  Mexican  plateau,  both  physically  and  as  regards 
temperature.  The  population  is  largely  of  Spanish  de- 
scent, and  that  language  is  almost  universally  spoken, 
though  Portuguese  is  the  current  tongue  in  Brazil. 
These  languages  are  so  similar,  in  fact,  that  the  people 
of  the  two  nations  can  easily  understand  each  other. 
It  is  said  to  be  true  that,  in  the  wild  regions  of  the 
country,  there  are  tribes  of  Indians  found  to-day  living 
close  to  each  other,  separated  by  no  physical  barriers, 
who  differ  materially  in  language,  physiognomy,  man- 
ners, and  customs,  having  absolutely  nothing  in  com- 
mon but  their  brown  or  copper-colored  skins.  Fur- 
thermore, these  tribes  live  most  frequently  in  deadly 
feuds  with  each  other.  That  cannibalism  is  still 
practiced  among  these  interior  tribes  is  positively  be- 
lieved, especially  among  some  of  the  tribes  of  the 
extreme  south,  that  is,  among  the  Patagonians  and  the 


AMALGAMATION  OF  RACES.  87 

wild,  nomadic  race  of  Terra  del  Fuego.  These  two 
tribes,  on  opposite  sides  of  the  Strait  of  Magellan, 
are  quite  different  from  each  other  in  nearly  every  re- 
spect, especially  in  size,  nor  will  they  attempt  to  hold 
friendly  intercourse  of  any  sort  with  each  other. 

There  are  certain  domestic  animals  which  are  be- 
lieved to  be  improved  by  crossing  them  with  others 
of  a  different  type,  but  this  does  not  seem  to  apply, 
very  often,  advantageously  to  different  races  of  human 
beings.  It  is  plain  enough  in  South  America  that  the 
amalgamation  of  foreigners  and  natives  rapidly  effaces 
the  original  better  qualities  of  each,  the  result  being  a 
mongrel,  nondescript  type,  hard  to  analyze  and  hard 
to  improve.  That  keen  observer,  Professor  Agassiz, 
especially  noticed  this  during  his  j^ear  of  scientific 
research  in  Brazil.  This  has  also  been  the  author's 
experience,  as  illustrated  in  many  lands,  where  strictly 
different  races,  the  one  highly  civilized,  the  other  bar- 
barian, have  unitedly  produced  children.  It  is  a  sort 
of  amalgamation  which  nature  does  not  favor,  record- 
ing her  objections  in  an  unmistakable  manner.  It  is 
the  flow  of  European  emigration  towards  these  south- 
em  republics  which  will  infuse  new  life  and  progress 
among  them.  The  aboriginal  race  is  slowly  receding, 
and  fading  out,  as  was  the  case  in  Australia,  in  New 
Zealand,  and  in  the  instance  of  our  western  Indians. 
A  new  people  will  eventually  possess  the  land,  com- 
posed of  the  several  European  nationalities,  who  are 
already  the  virtual  masters  of  South  America  so  far 
as  regards  nimibers,  intelligence,  and  possession. 


88  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

Since  these  notes  were  written,  the  Argentine  gov- 
ernment has  sold  to  Baron  Hirsch  three  thousand 
square  leagues  of  land  in  the  province  of  Chaco,  for 
the  formation  of  a  Jewish  colony.  Agents  are  already 
at  work,  aided  by  competent  engineers  and  practical 
individuals,  in  preparing  for  the  early  reception  of 
the  new  occupants  of  the  country.  The  first  contin- 
gent, of  about  one  thousand  Jews,  have  already 
arrived  and  are  becoming  domesticated.  Argentina 
wants  men  perhaps  more  than  money ;  indeed,  one  will 
make  the  other.  A  part  of  Baron  Hirsch's  scheme  is 
to  lend  these  people  money,  to  be  repaid  in  small  in- 
stallments extending  over  a  considerable  period.  For 
this  extensive  territory  the  Baron  paid  one  million 
three  hundred  thousand  dollars  in  gold,  thus  making 
himself  the  owner  of  the  largest  connected  area  of 
land  in  the  world  possessed  by  a  single  individual.  It 
exceeds  that  of  the  kingdom  of  Montenegro. 

As  to  the  zoology  of  this  part  of  the  continent,  it 
is  different  from  that  of  Europe,  Africa,  Asia,  and 
North  America.  The  number  of  dangerous  beasts  of 
prey  is  quite  limited.  There  is  nothing  here  to  answer 
to  the  African  lion,  the  Asiatic  tiger,  the  elephant  of 
Ceylon,  or  the  grisly  bear  of  Alaska.  The  jaguar  is 
perhaps  the  most  formidable  animal,  and  resembles 
the  leopard.  There  are  also  the  cougar,  tiger-cat,  black 
bear,  hyena,  wolf,  and  ocelot.  The  llama,  alpaca,  and 
vicuna  are  peculiar  to  this  country.  The  monkey  tribe 
exceeds  all  others  in  variety  and  number.  There 
are  said  to  be  nearly  two  hundred  species  of  them 


ABORIGINALS.  89 

in  South  America,  each  distinctly  marked,  and  vary- 
ing from  each  other,  in  size,  from  twelve  pounds  to 
less  than  two.  The  smallest  of  the  little  marmosets 
weigh  less  than  a  pound  and  a  half  each,  and  are  the 
most  intelligent  animal  of  their  size  known  to  man. 
There  are  also  the  deer,  tapir,  armadillo,  anteater,  and 
a  few  other  minor  animals.  The  pampas  swarm  with 
wild  cattle  and  horses,  descended  from  animals  ori- 
ginally brought  from  Europe.  In  the  low,  marshy 
grounds  the  boa-constrictor  and  other  reptiles  abound. 
Eagles,  vultures,  and  parrots  are  found  in  a  wild  state 
all  over  the  country,  while  the  rivers  and  the  waters 
near  the  coast  are  well  filled  with  fish,  crocodiles,  and 
turtles.  Scientists  have  found  over  two  thousand  spe- 
cies of  fish  in  the  Amazon  River  alone. 

The  pure  aboriginal  race  are  copper  colored,  resem- 
bling the  Mexicans  in  character  and  appearance.  Like 
most  natives  of  equatorial  regions,  they  are  indolent, 
ignorant,  superstitious,  sensuous,  and  by  no  means 
warlike.  Forced  into  the  ranks  and.  drilled  by  Euro- 
peans, they  make  fairly  good  soldiers,  and  when  well 
led  will  obey  orders  and  fight.  There  can  be  no  esprit 
de  corps  in  soldiers  thus  organized ;  the  men  neither 
know  nor  care  what  they  fight  for,  their  incentive  in 
action  being  first  a  natural  instinct  for  brutality,  and 
second  the  promise  of  booty.  In  some  parts  of  the 
country  the  half-breeds  show  themselves  skillful  work- 
men in  certain  simple  lines  of  manufacture,  but  the 
native  pure  and  simple  will  not  work  except  to  keep 
from  starving. 


90  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

The  Spaniards  conquered  nearly  all  parts  of  South 
America  except  Brazil,  which  was  subject  to  Portugal 
until  1823,  when  it  achieved  its  independence.  The 
Spanish  colonies  also  revolted,  one  by  one,  until  they 
all  became  independent  of  the  mother  country.  The 
history  of  these  republics,  as  in  the  instance  of  Mexico, 
has  been  both  stormy  and  sanguinary.  Foreign  and 
civil  wars  have  reigned  among  them  incessantly  for 
half  a  century  and  more. 

The  present  political  divisions  are :  Brazil,  British 
Guiana,  Dutch  Guiana,  French  Guiana,  Ecuador, 
United  States  of  Colombia,  Venezuela,  Bolivia,  Cliili, 
Peru,  Argentine  Republic,  Uruguay,  and  Paraguay. 
Brazil  is  the  most  extensive  of  these  states,  and  is 
thought  to  enjoy  the  largest  share  of  natural  ad- 
vantages, including  in  its  area  nearly  one  half  as 
many  square  miles  as  all  the  rest  combined.  Its  sea- 
board at  Parahiba,  and  for  hundreds  of  miles  north 
and  south  of  it,  projects  into  the  Atlantic  a  thousand 
miles  to  the  east  of  the  direct  line  between  its  north- 
em  and  southern  extremities.  Besides  her  diamond 
and  gold  mines,  she  possesses  what  is  much  more  de- 
sirable, namely,  valuable  deposits  of  iron,  copper,  sil- 
ver, and  other  metals.  We  have  before  us  statistics 
which  give  the  result  of  diamond  mining  in  Brazil 
from  1740  to  1823,  when  national  independence  was 
won,  which  show  the  aggregate  for  that  entire  period 
to  have  been  less  than  ten  million  dollars  in  value  ; 
while  that  of  the  coffee  alone,  exported  from  Rio 
Janeiro  in  one  year,  exceeded  twenty  million  dollars, 


CIVIL    WARS.  91 

showing  that,  however  dazzling  the  precious  stones 
may  appear  in  the  abstract,  they  are  not  even  of 
secondary  consideration  when  compared  with  the  agri- 
cultural products  of  the  country.  The  export  of  cof- 
fee has  increased  very  much  since  the  year  1851,  which 
happens  to  be  that  from  which  we  have  quoted.  It 
must  also  be  admitted  that  probably  twice  the  amount 
of  diamonds  recorded  were  actually  foimd  and  en- 
riched somebody,  all  which  were  duly  reported,  having 
to  pay  "a  government  royalty  according  to  the  pecu- 
niary exigency  of  those  in  authority. 

The  population  of  Brazil  is  between  fourteen  and 
fifteen  million,  and  it  is  thought  to  be  more  advanced 
in  civilization  than  other  parts  of  South  America, 
though  in  the  light  of  our  own  experience  we  should 
place  the  Argentine  Republic  first  in  this  respect. 
Indeed,  so  far  as  a  transient  observer  may  speak, 
we  are  inclined  to  place  Argentina  far  and  away  in 
advance  of  Brazil  •  as  regards  everything  calculated 
to  invite  the  would-be  emigrant  who  is  in  search  of  a 
new  home  in  a  foreign  land.  Were  it  not  that  intes- 
tine wars  are  of  such  frequent  occurrence  among  these 
states,  and  national  bankruptcy  so  common,  voluntary 
emigration  would  tend  towards  South  America  in  far 
larger  numbers  than  it  does  now.  The  revolutions 
are  solely  to  promote  personal  aggrandizement ;  it  is 
individual  interest,  not  principle,  for  which  these 
people  fight  so  often.  Unfortunately,  every  fresh  out- 
break throws  the  country  back  a  full  decade  as  regards 
national  progress.     The  late  civil  wars  in  ChUi  and 


92  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

the  Argentine  Republic  are  illustrations  in  point.  The 
first-named  section  of  South  America  has  suddenly 
sunk  from  a  condition  of  remarkable  pecuniary  pros- 
perity to  one  of  actual  poverty.  Thousands  of  valu- 
able lives  have  been  sacrificed,  an  immense  amount  of 
property  has  been  destroyed,  her  commerce  crippled, 
and  for  the  time  being  paralyzed.  Ten  years  of  peace 
and  reasonable  prosperity  could  hardly  restore  Chili 
to  the  position  she  was  in  twelve  months  ago.  The 
country  is  to-day  in  a  terrible  condition,  while  many 
of  the  best  f amihes  mourn  the  death  of  a  father,  a  son, 
or  both,  whose  lives  have  been  sacrificed  to  the  mad 
ambition  of  a  usurper.  Numerous  families,  once  rich, 
have  now  become  impoverished  by  the  confiscation  of 
their  entire  property.  The  Chilians  do  not  carry  on 
warfare  in  European  style,  by  organized  armies  ;  there 
is  a  semblance  only  of  such  bodies.  The  fighting  is 
mostly  after  the  fashion  of  free  lances,  guerrilla  bands, 
and  highwaymen.  There  seems  to  be  no  sense  of 
honor  or  chivalry  among  the  common  people,  while  the 
only  idea  of  the  soldiery  is  to  plunder  and  destroy. 

The  Peruvians  whose  cities  were  despoiled  by  Chili 
must  have  regarded  the  recent  cutting  of  each  other's 
throats  by  the  Chilian  soldiery  with  something  like 
grim  satisfaction. 

The  obvious  weakness  of  the  South  American  states 
lies  in  their  bitter  rivalry  towards  each  other,  a  condi- 
tion which  might  be  at  once  obviated  by  their  joining 
together  to  form  one  united  nation.  The  instability 
which  characterizes  their  several  governments  in  their^ 


A   POSSIBLE   UNION.  93 

present  isolated  interests  has  passed  into  a  byword. 
Divided  into  nine  unimportant  states,  —  leaving  out 
the  three  Guianas,  which  are  dependent  upon  Euro- 
pean powers,  —  any  one  of  them  could  be  erased  from 
the  map  and  absorbed  by  its  stronger  neighbor,  or  by 
a  covetous  foreign  power.  On  the  contrary,  by  form- 
ing one  grand  republic,  it  would  stand  eighth  in  the 
rank  of  nations  as  regards  wealth,  importance,  and 
power,  amply  able  to  take  care  of  itself,  and  to  main- 
tain the  integrity  of  its  territory.  A  community  of 
interest  would  also  be  established  between  our  govern- 
ment and  that  of  these  South  American  provinces, 
which  would  be  of  immense  commercial  and  political 
i.nportance  to  both  nations. 

To  those  who  have  visited  the  country,  and  who 
have  carefully  observed  the  conditions,  it  is  clear  that 
this  division  of  the  continent  will  never  thrive  and 
fully  reap  the  benefit  of  its  great  natural  advantages 
until  the  independent  republics  assume  the  position  of 
sovereign  states,  subservient  to  a  central  power,  a  pur- 
pose which  has  already  been  so  successfully  accom- 
plished in  Mexico. 

While  we  have  been  considering  the  great  southern 
continent  as  a  whole,  our  good  ship,  having  crossed 
the  equator,  has  been  rapidly  approaching  its  northern 
shore.  After  entering  the  broad  mouth  of  the  Amazon 
and  ascending  its  course  for  many  miles,  we  are  now 
in  sight  of  the  thriving  metropolis  of  Para. 


CHAPTER  V. 

City  of  ParA.  —  The  Equatorial  Line.  —  Spanish  History.  —  The 
King  of  Waters.  —  Private  Gardens  —  Domestic  Life  in  Northern 
Brazil.  —  Delicious  Pineapples.  —  Family  Pets.  —  Opera  House.  — 
Mendicasts.  —  A  Grand  Avenue.  —  Botanical  Garden.  —  India-Rub- 
ber  Tree.  —  Gathering  the  Raw  Material.  —  Monkeys.  —  The  Royal 
Palm.  —  Splendor  of  Equatorial  Nights. 

Para  is  the  most  northerly  city  of  Brazil.  It  also 
bears  the  name  of  Belem  on  some  maps,  and  is  the 
capital  of  a  province  of  the  first  designation.  The 
full  official  title  of  the  place  is,  in  the  usual  style  of 
Portuguese  and  Spanish  hyperbole,  Santa  Maria  do 
Belem  do  Grao  Para,  which  has  fortimately  and  nat- 
urally simplified  itself  to  Para.  It  was  founded  in 
1615,  and  the  province  of  which  it  is  the  capital  was 
the  last  in  Brazil  to  declare  its  independence  of  the 
mother  country,  and  to  acknowledge  the  authority  of 
the  first  emperor,  Dom  Pedro.  It  is  the  largest  polit- 
ical division  of  the  republic,  and  in  some  respects  the 
most  thriving.  The  city  is  situated  about  ninety 
miles  south  of  the  equator,  and  eighty  miles  from  the 
Atlantic  Ocean  on  the  Para  River,  so  called,  but 
which  is  really  one  of  the  mouths  of  the  Amazon.  It 
is  thus  the  principal  city  at  the  mouth  of  the  largest 
river  in  the  world,  a  fact  quite  sufficient  to  indicate 
its  present,  and  to  insure  its  continued  commercial 
importance. 


THE  PARA   ESTUARY.  96 

As  we  entered  the  muddy  estuary  of  the  river, 
whose  wide  expanse  was  lashed  into  short,  angry  waves 
by  a  strong  wind,  large  tree  trunks  were  seen  floating 
seaward,  rising  and  sinking  on  the  undulating  surface 
of  the  water.  Some  were  quite  entire,  with  all  of 
their  branches  still  attached  to  the  main  trunk.  They 
came,  perhaps,  from  two  thousand  miles  inland,  borne 
upon  the  swift  current  from  where  it  had  undermined 
the  roots  in  their  forest  home.  Among  the  rest  was 
a  cocoa-palm  with  its  full  tufted  head,  some  large 
brown  nuts  still  hanging  tenaciously  to  the  parent 
stem.  It  had  fallen  bodily,  while  in  its  prime  and 
f idl  bearing,  suddenly  unearthed  by  some  swift  devia- 
tion of  the  river,  which  brooks  no  trifling  impediment 
to  its  triumphal  march  seaward.  How  long,  one 
would  be  glad  to  know,  has  this  vast  stream,  fed  by 
the  melted  snow  of  the  Andes,  poured  its  accumulated 
waters  into  the  bosom  of  the  ocean?  A  thousand 
years  is  but  as  a  day,  in  reckoning  the  age  of  a  moun- 
tain range  or  of  a  mammoth  river. 

As  we  approached  the  city,  the  channel  became 
gradually  narrowed  by  several  prominent  islands, 
crowded  with  rich  green  vegetation,  forest  trees  of 
various  sorts,  mangoes,  bananas,  and  regal  palms. 
Though  it  is  thus  broken  by  islands,  the  river  is  here 
over  twenty  miles  in  width. 

Para  is  yielded  precedence  over  the  other  cities  on 

the  east  coast  of  South  America  in  many  respects,  and 

is  appreciatively  called  "Queen  of  the  Amazon,"  her 

,  water  communication  reaching  into  the  very  heart  of 


96  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

some  of  the  most  fertile  valleys  on  the  continent.  One 
incorporated  company  has  established  a  score  of  well- 
appointed  steamers,  averaging  five  hundred  tons  each, 
which  navigate  the  river  for  a  distance  of  two  thou- 
sand miles  from  its  mouth.  Para  has  an  excellent 
harbor,  of  large  capacity,  accommodating  an  exten- 
sive commerce,  a  considerable  portion  of  which  is  with 
the  United  States  of  North  America.  It  has  a  mixed 
population  of  about  fifty  thousand,  composed  of  an 
amalgamation  of  Portuguese,  Italians,  Indians,  and 
negroes,  and  is  the  only  town  of  any  importance,  except , 
Quito,  situated  so  near  to  the  equatorial  line,  where 
the  interested  observer  has  the  privilege  of  beholding 
the  starry  constellations  of  both  hemispheres.  Ships 
of  five  thousand  tons  measurement  can  lie  within  a 
hundred  yards  of  the  wharves  of  Para,  where  the  ac- 
cumulation of  coffee,  dyewoods,  drugs,  tobacco,  cotton, 
cocoa,  rice,  sugar,  and  raw  india-rubber,  indicates  the 
character  of  the  principal  exports.  Of  all  these  sta- 
ples, the  last  named  is  the  most  important,  in  a  com- 
mercial point  of  view,  occupying  the  third  place  on 
tlie  list  of  national  exports.  As  we  have  shown,  the 
import  and  export  trade  of  the  Amazon  valley  natu- 
rally centres  here,  and  Para  need  fear  no  commercial 
rival. 

For  a  considerable  period  this  unequaled  water- 
way, forming  the  spacious  port,  and  conveying  the 
drainage  of  nearly  half  of  South  America  into  the 
Atlantic,  bore  the  name  of  its  discoverer,  Orellana, 
one  of  Pizarro's  captains;  but  the  fabulous  story  of  a 


FRIAR   CASPAR'S  STORY.  97 

priest  called  Friar  Gaspar,  seK-constituted  chronicler 
of  the  expedition,  gave  to  it  the  designation  which 
it  now  bears.  All  the  Spanish  records  of  the  his- 
tory and  conquests  in  the  New  World,  relating  to 
the  doings  of  Columbus,  Cortez,  Pizarro,  and  others, 
without  an  exception,  were  written  in  the  same  spirit 
of  exaggeration  and  untruthfulness,  leading  that  pious 
witness  and  contemporary  writer.  Las  Casas,  to  pro- 
nounce them,  with  honest  indignation,  to  be  a  tissue 
of  falsehoods.  Even  our  own  popular  historian, 
Prescott,  who  drew  so  largely  upon  these  sources  for 
his  poetical  productions,  was  forced  to  admit  their 
manifest  incongruities,  contradictions,  and  general 
irresponsibility.  This  Munchausen  of  a  priest.  Friar 
Gaspar,  recorded  that  a  tribe  of  Amazons,  or  fight- 
ing women,  was  encountered  far  inland,  on  the  banks 
of  the  mighty  river,  who  were  tall  in  stature,  sym- 
metrical in  form,  and  had  a  profusion  of  long  hair, 
which  hung  in  braids  down  their  backs.  They  were 
represented  to  be  as  warlike  as  they  were  beautiful, 
and  as  carrying  shields  and  spears,  the  latter  of  which 
they  could  use  with  great  skill  and  effect.  It  was 
this  foolish  story  of  the  Amazons,  hatched  in  the  pro- 
lific brain  of  Friar  Gaspar,  which  gave  the  river  its 
lasting  name. 

The  Indian  designation  of  the  mammoth  water- 
course was  significant  and  appropriate,  as  their  names 
always  are.  They  called  it  Parana-ting  a.,  meaning 
"King  of  Waters,"  and  it  seems  to  us  a  great  pity 
that  the  name  could  not  have  been  retained. 


98  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

Para  has  the  advantage  of  being  much  nearer  to 
the  United  States  and  to  Europe  than  Rio  Janeiro, 
the  capital  of  Brazil.  Though  the  commerce  of  Rio 
is  constantly  increasing,  in  spite  of  its  miserable  sani- 
tary condition,  it  is  confidently  believed  by  intelligent 
persons  engaged  in  the  South  American  trade,  that 
Para  will  equal  it  erelong  in  the  aggregate  of  its  ship- 
ments. All  freight  is  now  landed  by  means  of  light- 
ers, a  process  which  is  an  awkward  drawback  upon 
commerce,  and  what  makes  it  still  more  aggravating 
is  that  it  seems  to  be  an  entirely  needless  one.  Cer- 
tainly a  good,  substantial,  capacious  pier  might  be 
easily  built,  which  would  obviate  this  objection,  ac- 
commodating a  dozen  large  vessels  at  the  same  time. 
The  Brazilians  are  slow  to  adopt  any  modern  improve- 
ment. Portuguese  and  Spaniards  are  very  much  alike 
in  this  respect.  Wharves  will  be  built  at  Para  by 
and  by,  after  a  few  more  millions  have  been  wasted 
upon  the  inconvenient  process  now  in  vogue,  which 
involves  not  only  needless  expense,  but  causes  most 
awkward  and  unreasonable  delay,  both  in  landing 
merchandise  and  in  shipping  freight  for  export.  This 
serious  objection  applies  to  all  the  ports  along  the  east 
coast  of  South  America.  There  is  always  some  private 
interest  which  exerts  itself  to  prevent  any  progressive 
movement,  and  it  is  this  which  retards  improved  facil- 
ities for  unloading  and  shipping  of  cargoes  at  Para. 
In  this  instance  the  owners  of  the  steam  tugs  which 
tow  the  flat-bottomed  lighters  from  ship  to  shore,  and 
vice  versa,  oppose  the  building  of  piers,  because,  if 


THE   CITY   OF  PARA.  99 

they  were  in  existence,  these  individuals  would  find 
their  profitable  occupation  gone.  If  proper  wharf 
facilities  were  to  be  furnished,  commerce  generally 
would  be  much  benefited,  though  a  few  persons  would 
suffer  some  pecuniary  loss.  As  we  have  said,  the 
wharves  will  come  by  and  by,  when  the  people  realize 
that  private  interest  must  be  subservient  to  the  public 
good. 

The  city  of  Para  is  situated  upon  slightly  elevated 
ground,  and  makes  a  fine  appearance  from  the  river, 
with  its  lofty  cathedral,  numerous  churches,  convents, 
custom  house,  and  arsenal  standing  forth  in  bold 
relief  against  an  intensely  blue  sky,  while  fronting 
the  harbor,  like  a  line  of  sentinels,  is  a  row  of  tall, 
majestic  palms,  harmonizing  admirably  with  the  local 
surroundings,  though  in  the  very  midst  of  a  busy 
commercial  centre.  The  buildings  are  painted  yel- 
low, blue,  or  pink,  the  facades  contrasting  strongly 
with  the  dark  red  of  the  heavily  tiled  roofs,  which, 
having  no  chimneys,  present  an  odd  appearance  to 
a  northern  eye.  Here  and  there  a  mass  of  greenery 
indicates  some  domestic  garden,  or  a  plaza  presided 
over  by  tall  groups  of  trees,  among  which  the  thick, 
umbrageous  mangoes  prevail.  The  Rua  da  Impera- 
triz  is  the  principal  wholesale  street  of  the  city, 
where  the  large  warehouses  are  to  be  found,  but  the 
Rua  dos  Mercadores  is  the  fashionable  shopping 
street,  through  which  the  tramway  also  passes.  The 
shops  are  rather  small,  but  have  a  fair  stock  of  goods 
offered  at  reasonable  rates,  though  strangers  are  apt 


100  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

to  be  victimized  by  considerably  higher  prices  than  a 
native  would  pay. 

This,  however,  is  not  unusual  in  all  foreign  coun- 
tries, so  far  as  our  experience  goes.  North  Americans 
are  looked  upon  as  possessing  unlimited  pecuniary 
means,  and  as  lavish  in  their  expenditures,  prices  be- 
ing gauged  accordingly.  This  is  a  universal  practice 
in  Europe,  and  especially  so  in  Germany. 

The  climate  is  very  moist,  and  it  has  been  face- 
tiously remarked  that  it  rains  here  eight  days  in  the 
week.  One  cannot  speak  approvingly  of  the  sanitary 
condition  of  a  place  where  turkey  buzzards  are  de- 
pended upon  to  remove  the  garbage  which  accumulates 
in  the  thoroughfares.  It  is  unaccountable  that  the 
citizens  should  submit  to  such  filthy  surroundings,  es- 
pecially in  a  locality  where  malarial  fever  is  acknow- 
ledged to  prevail  in  the  summer  season.  Though  at 
this  writing  it  is  the  latter  part  of  May,  yellow  fever 
is  still  rife  here,  and  we  hear  of  many  particularly  sad 
cases,  ending  fatally,  all  about  us.  This  destroyer  is 
especially  apt  to  carry  off  people  who  have  newly  ar- 
rived in  the  country.  The  present  year  has  been 
unusually  fatal  among  the  residents  of  Para,  as  re- 
gards yellow  fever,  which  seems  to  linger  longer  and 
longer  each  year  of  its  visitation.  Our  own  conviction 
is  that  the  people  have  themselves  to  thank  for  this 
lingering  of  the  pest  into  the  winter  months,  since 
the  sanitary  conditions  of  the  place  are  inexcusably 
defective. 

Gardens  in  and  about  the  city  quickly  catch  and 


INSECT  LIFE.  101 

delight  the  eye,  —  gardens  where  flowers  and  fruits 
grow  in  great  luxuriance.  Among  the  latter  are 
oranges,  mangoes,  guavas,  figs,  and  bananas.  The 
glossy  green  fronds  of  the  bananas  throw  other  ver- 
dure altogether  into  the  shade,  while  in  dignity  and 
beauty  the  cocoanut  palms  excel  all  other  trees.  The 
tall,  straight  stem  of  the  palm  rises  from  the  roots 
without  leaf  or  branch  until  the  plumed  head  is 
reached,  which  bends  slightly  under  its  wealth  of  pin- 
nated leaves  and  fruit  combined.  If  you  happen  to 
pass  these  gardens  after  nightfall,  especially  those  in 
the  immediate  environs  of  the  city,  mark  the  phos- 
phorescent clouds  of  dancing  lights  which  fill  the  still 
atmosphere  round  about  the  vegetation.  This  pecu- 
liar effect  is  produced  by  the  busy  cucuios,  or  tropi- 
cal fireflies,  each  vigorously  flashing  its  individual 
torch.  Do  they  shine  thus  in  the  daytime,  we  are 
led  to  wonder,  like  the  constellations  in  the  heavens, 
though  hidden  by  the  greater  light  of  the  sun  ?  They 
are  always  demonstrative  in  the  night,  be  it  never  so 
cloudy,  foggy,  or  damp  in  the  low  latitudes.  They 
keep  their  sparkling  revels,  their  torchlight  dances,  all 
heedless  of  the  grim  and  deadly  fever  which  lurks  in 
the  surrounding  atmosphere,  claiming  human  victims 
right  and  left,  among  high  and  low,  from  the  ranks  of 
age  and  of  youth.  Insect  life  is  redundant  here.  It 
is  the  very  paradise  of  butterflies,  whose  size,  wide 
spread  of  wing,  variety,  and  striking  beauty  of  colors, 
we  have  only  seen  equaled  at  Penang  and  Singapore, 
in  the  Malacca  Straits.     Some  of  the  avenues  leading 


102  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

to  the  environs  are  lined  with  handsome  trees,  which 
add  greatly  to  their  attractiveness  and  comfort.  The 
silk  cotton  tree  and  the  almond  are  favorites  here  as 
ornamental  shade  trees.  The  cape  jessamine  is  uni- 
versally cultivated  at  Para,  and  grows  to  a  large  size, 
filling  the  air  with  its  agreeable  fragrance.  Here  the 
oleander,  covered  with  clusters  of  bloom,  grows  to  the 
height  of  twenty  feet  and  more.  The  lime,  with  its 
fine  acid  fruit,  which  is  in  great  request  in  making 
cooling  drinks,  also  abounds. 

The  glimpses  of  domestic  life  which  one  gets  in 
passing  the  better  class  of  dwellings  reveal  rooms 
with  tiled  or  polished  wooden  floors,  cane -finished 
chairs,  sofas,  and  rockers  to  match,  a  small  foot  rug 
here  and  there,  a  group  of  flowering  plants  in  one 
comer,  while  hammocks  seem  to  take  the  place  of  bed- 
steads. The  temperature  is  high  at  Para  in  summer, 
and  woolen  carpets,  or  even  mattresses,  are  too  warm 
for  use  in  this  climate.  Bignonias,  oleanders,  and  other 
blooming  plants  abound  in  the  flower-plots  about  the 
city,  besides  many  flowering  vines  which  are  stran- 
gers to  us,  half  orchids,  half  creepers.  One  is  apt  to 
jump  at  conclusions.  These  people  dearly  love  flow- 
ers, so  we  conclude  they  cannot  be  very  wicked. 

The  families  live,  as  it  were,  in  the  open  patios, 
which  form  the  centres  of  their  dwellings,  are  shaded 
by  broad  verandas,  and  upon  which  the  domestic  apart- 
ments all  open.  The  accessories  are  few,  and  not  en- 
tirely convenient,  according  to  a  northerner's  ideas  of 
comfort ;  but  this  is  compensated  for  by  the  fragrance 


BAHIA    ORANGES.  103 

of  flowers,  the  picturesqueness  of  the  surroundings, 
and  the  free  and  easy  out-of-door  atmosphere  which 
ignores  conventionalities.  These  attractive  interiors 
suggest  a  sort  of  picnic  mode  of  life  which  has  con- 
formed itseK  to  climatic  influences.  Everything  is  very 
quiet,  there  is  no  hurry,  and  the  stillness  is  occasion- 
ally interrupted  by  the  musical  laughter  of  children, 
which  rings  out  clear  and  pleasantly,  entirely  in  har- 
mony with  the  surroundings.  And  such  children! 
Artists'  models,  every  one  of  them.  It  all  seems  to 
a  stranger  to  be  the  very  poetry  of  living,  yet  we  ven- 
ture to  say  that  each  household  has  its  skeleton  in  the 
closet,  and  some  a  whole  anatomical  museum! 

At  Bahia,  further  south,  a  revelation  awaits  the 
traveler  in  the  delicious  richness,  size,  and  delicacy  of 
the  oranges  which  grow  there  in  lavish  abundance, 
and  which  are  famous,  all  along  the  coast.  Here  at 
Para,  the  same  may"  be  said  of  the  pineapple,  the 
raising  of  which  is  a  local  specialty.  These  are  not 
picked  until  fully  ripe,  and  often  weigh  ten  pounds 
each.  When  cut  open,  the  inside  can  be  eaten  with 
a  spoon,  if  one  fancies  that  mode.  They  require  no 
sugar ;  nature  has  supplied  the  saccharine  principle  in 
abundance.  They  are  absolutely  perfect  in  themselves 
alone.  People  sailing  northward  lay  in  a  great  store 
of  this  admirable  fruit,  which  is  as  cheap  as  it  is  de- 
licious and  appetizing.  In  New  England,  the  pines 
of  which  we  partake  have  been  picked  in  a  green  con- 
dition in  Bermuda,  the  Bahamas,  or  Florida,  to  en- 
able them  to  bear  transportation.     They  ripen  only 


104  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

partially  off  the  stem,  and  after  a  very  poor  style,  de- 
cay setting  in  at  the  same  time ;  consequently  the  pulp 
is  not  suitable  to  swallow,  and  is  always  more  or  less 
indigestible.  The  Para  pines  are  seedless,  and  are 
propagated  by  replanting  the  suckers.  The  crown, 
we  were  told,  would  also  thrive  and  reproduce  the 
fruit  if  properly  planted,  but  the  first  named  pro- 
cess is  that  generally  employed,  and  is  probably  the 
best. 

In  the  neighborhood  of  Para  are  many  large  and 
profitable  cocoa  plantations,  the  industry  connected 
with  which  is  a  growing  one,  representing  a  consid- 
erable amount  of  capital.  But  above  all  others,  the 
gathering  and  preparing  of  raw  india-rubber  for  ex- 
portation is  the  prevailing  industry  of  this  Brazilian 
capital. 

The  common  people  seem  tp  be  an  uncertain  mix- 
ture of  races,  confounding  all  attempts  properly  to 
analyze  their  antecedents.  They  have  touches  of  re- 
finement and  underlying  tenderness  of  instinct,  as 
exhibited  in  their  home  associations,  but  also  evince 
a  coarseness  which  is  not  inviting,  to  say  the  least. 
They  are  imiversal  lovers  of  pet  birds  and  small  ani- 
mals. No  household  seems  to  be  complete  without 
some  representatives  of  the  sort.  Among  these  are 
cranes,  ibises,  herons,  turtle-doves,  parrots,  macaws, 
and  paroquets.  Monkeys  of  various  tribes,  the  little 
marmoset  being  the  favorite,  are  seen  domesticated 
in  almost  every  private  garden,  full  of  fun  and  mis- 
chief, and  affording  infinite  amusement  to  the  youthful 


ANACONDAS.  105 

members  of  the  household.  Young  anacondas,  some- 
times ten  feet  long,  are  kept  in  and  about  the  dwell- 
ings, to  catch  and  drive  away  the  rats!  The  reader 
smiles  haH  incredulously  at  this,  and  we  do  not 
wonder.  If  one  of  these  rodents  be  caught  in  a  trap 
and  killed,  it  is  useless  to  offer  it  to  an  anaconda 
as  food.  That  fastidious  reptile  will  eat  only  such 
creatures  as  it  kills  itself.  This  is  also  characteristic 
of  the  African  lion  and  the  tiger  of  India,  when  in  the 
wild  state ;  neither  will  molest  a  dead  body,  of  man  or 
beast,  which  they  have  not  themselves  deprived  of  life, 
though  hyenas,  wolves,  and  some  other  animals  will 
even  rob  the  graves  of  human  bodies  for  food.  We 
had  never  heard  of  anacondas  employed  as  ratters  be- 
fore we  came  to  Para,  but  we  were  assured  by  those 
who  should  know  that  they  are  especially  effective  in 
warfare  against  this  domestic  pest. 

Broad  ^erandas  give  a  grateful  shade  to  most  of 
the  dwelling-houses,  which  are  seldom  over  one  story 
in  height,  each  one,  however,  extending  over  consid- 
erable groimd  space.  In  the  business  part  of  the 
town,  fronting  the  harbor,  the  houses  are  generally 
two  or  even  three  stories  in  height,  it  being  necessary 
in  such  localities  to  economize  the  square  feet  of 
ground  occupied.  The  same  sort  of  external  orna- 
mentation is  seen  here  as  upon  the  house  fronts  in 
Mexico,  namely,  the  profuse  decoration  of  the  walls 
with  glazed  earthen  tiles,  often  of  fancy  colors,  which 
gives  a  checkerboard  appearance  to  a  dwelling-house 
not  calculated  to  please  a  critical  eye. 


106  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

The  Opera  House  of  Para  is  a  large  and  imposing 
structure,  one  of  the  finest  edifices  in  the  town,  and 
the  largest  theatre,  we  believe,  in  South  America, 
quite  uncalled  for,  it  would  seem,  by  any  local  de- 
mand. It  is  built  of  brick,  finished  in  stucco,  the 
front  being  decorated  with  marble  columns  having 
handsome  and  elaborate  Corinthian  capitals.  The 
house  lights  up  brilliantly  at  night,  being  finished  in 
red,  white,  and  gold.  It  has  four  narrow  galleries 
supported  upon  brackets,  thus  obviating  the  necessity 
for  the  objectionable  upright  posts  which  so  provok- 
ingly  interfere  with  the  line  of  sight.  The  cathedral 
is  a  substantial  and  handsome  structure,  with  a  couple 
of  tall  towers,  after  the  usual  Spanish  style,  each  con- 
taining a  dozen  bells.  The  interior  has  all  the  florid 
and  tawdry  ornamentation  always  to  be  found  in  Ro- 
man Catholic  churches,  together  with  the  usual  com- 
plement of  bleeding  figures,  arrow-pierced  saints,  high- 
colored  paper  rosettes,  utterly  meaningless,  together 
with  any  amoimt  of  glittering  tinsel,  calculated  to 
catch  the  eye  and  captivate  the  imagination  of  the 
grossly  ignorant  native  population. 

There  are  many  minor  churches  in  the  city,  and 
judging  by  the  number  seen  in  the  streets,  there  must 
be  at  least  a  thousand  priests,  whose  sole  occupa- 
tion, when  they  are  not  gambling  or  cock-fighting, 
is  to  cajole  and  impoverish  the  common  people.  It 
was  a  church  festival  when  we  visited  the  cathedral. 
There  are  over  two  hundred  such  days,  out  of  every 
three   hundred    and   sixty-five,    in   Roman   Catholic 


CHURCH  FESTIVALS.  107 

countries,  —  not  days  of  humiliation  and  prayer,  but 
days  of  gross  latitude,  of  bull-fights,  occasions  when 
the  decent  amenities  of  life  are  ignored,  days  when 
the  broadest  license  prevails,  and  all  excesses  are 
condoned.  There  were  a  large  niunber  of  women 
present  in  the  cathedral  on  this  day,  but  scarcely 
half  a  dozen  men.  The  better  class  were  dressed 
gayly,  and  wore  some  rich  jewelry.  The  love  of  finery 
prevails,  and  pervades  all  classes.  Some  of  the  ladies 
were  clad  in  costly  silks  and  laces,  set  off  by  brilliants 
and  pearls.  Diamonds  and  precious  stones  are  very 
common  in  this  country,  and  a  certain  class  seem  to 
carry  a  large  share  of  their  worldly  possessions  show- 
ily displayed  upon  their  persons.  What  the  humbler 
class  lacked  in  richness  of  material,  they  made  up  in 
gaudy  colors,  blazing  scarfs,  and  imitation  gold  and 
silver  jewelry.  Nature  sets  the  example  of  bright  col- 
ors in  these  latitudes,  in  gaudy  pltmied  birds  and  high- 
tinted  flowers  and  fruits.  The  natives  only  follow 
her.  The  few  men  who  were  present  came  to  ogle  the 
women,  and  having  satisfied  their  low-bred  curiosity, 
soon  retired  to  the  neighboring  bar-rooms  and  gam- 
bling saloons.  On  special  festal  days  temporary  booths 
are  erected  in  the  squares,  in  which  intoxicants  are 
sold,  together  with  toys,  cakes,  cigars,  and  charms, 
the  latter  said  to  have  been  blessed  by  the  priests, 
and  therefore  sure  to  prevent  any  injury  from  the  evil 
eye  I 

As  in  most  of  the  South  American  cities,  there  are 
several  elaborate  buildings  here,  formerly  used  as  con- 


108  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

vents,  wMch  are  now  devoted  to  more  creditable  pur- 
poses. The  present  custom  house  occupies  one  of 
these  edifices,  which  is  crowned  with  two  lofty  towers. 

There  are  plenty  of  mendicants  in  the  streets  of 
Para,  who  are  very  ready  with  their  importunities, 
especially  in  appealing  to  strangers.  The  average 
citizens  seemed  to  be  liberal  in  dealing  with  these 
beggars.  Saturday  is  called  "poor  day"  in  Para, 
as  it  is  also  in  Havana,  Matanzas,  Cienfuegos,  etc., 
when  every  housekeeper  who  is  able  to  give  some- 
thing does  so,  if  it  be  only  a  small  roll  of  bread,  to 
each  visiting  beggar.  At  most  houses  these  small  rolls 
are  baked  regularly  for  this  purpose,  and  the  applicant 
is  nearly  sure  to  get  one  upon  calling,  and  if  he  rep- 
resents a  large  family  he  may  receive  two.  Money  is 
rarely,  if  ever,  given  by  residents,  nor  is  it  expected; 
but  strangers  are  surrounded  as  by  an  army  with  ban- 
ners, and  vigorously  importuned  for  centavos.  The 
Spaniards  and  Portuguese  are  natural  beggars. 

Here  let  us  digress  for  a  moment.  The  system  of 
beggary  prevailing  in  Spanish  countries  is  very  trying 
to  all  sensitive  travelers.  In  Italy,  Spain,  and  the 
south  of  France,  especially  at  the  watering-places,  it 
is  a  terrible  pest.  Naples  has  become  almost  unendur- 
able on  this  account.  At  every  rod  one  is  constantly 
importuned  and  followed  by  beggars  of  all  sizes,  ages, 
and  of  both  sexes,  —  individuals  who  should  be  placed 
in  asylums  and  cared  for  by  the  state.  No  reason- 
able person  would  object  to  paying  a  certain  sum  on 
entering  these  resorts,  to  be  honestly  devoted  to  char- 


PROFESSIONAL  BEGGARS.  109 

itable  purposes,  provided  it  woiild  insure  him  against 
the  disgusting  importunities  of  which  strangers  are  now 
the  victims.  Visitors  hasten  away  from  the  localities 
where  these  things  are  not  only  permitted  but  are 
encouraged.  It  is  thought  to  be  quite  the  thing  to 
fleece  foreigners  of  every  possible  penny,  and  by  every 
possible  means.  The  contrast  in  this  respect  between 
the  cities  of  the  United  States  and  those  of  Europe 
and  South  America  is  eminently  creditable  to  the 
former.  In  the  beautiful  little  watering-place  known 
as  Luchon,  in  the  south  of  France,  at  the  foot  of  the 
Pyrenees,  with  scarcely  four  thousand  inhabitants, 
there  are  over  one  hundred  professional  beggars,  who 
constantly  beset  and  drive  away  visitors.  Some  of 
'  these,  as  usual  in  such  cases,  are  known  to  be  well  off 
pecuniarily,  but  are  marked  by  some  physical  deform- 
ity upon  which  they  trade.  If  the  stranger  gives,  he 
is  oftenest  encouraging  a  swindle,  rarely  performing 
a  true  charity.  This  is  one  of  the  increasing  dis- 
graces of  Paris.  Beggars  know  too  much  to  impor- 
tune citizens,  but  strangers  are  beset  at  every  comer 
of  the  boulevards  and  public  gardens,  particularly  by 
children,  girls  and  boys,  trained  for  the  purpose. 

Of  all  the  races  seen  in  Brazil,  the  half-breed  Indian 
girls  are  the  most  attractive,  and  until  they  are  past 
the  age  of  twenty -five  or  thirty  years  they  are  almost 
universally  handsome,  no  matter  to  what  class  they 
belong.  Those  who  have  the  advantage  of  domestic 
comforts,  good  food,  and  delicate  associations  de- 
velop accordingly,  and  are  especially  beautiful.    They 


110  EQUATORIAL   AMERICA. 

would  make  charming  artists'  models.  The  remarka- 
bly straight  figure  of  the  native  women  is  noticeable, 
caused  by  the  practice  referred  to  of  carrying  bur- 
dens on  the  head.  As  already  mentioned,  if  a  negro 
or  Indian  woman  has  an  article  to  transport,  even 
if  it  be  but  a  quart  bottle,  or  an  umbrella,  it  is  placed 
at  once  upon  the  head.  The  article  may  weigh  five 
pounds  or  fifty,  it  is  all  the  same ;  everything  but  the 
babies  is  thus  transported.  These  little  naked  crea- 
tures, always  suggestive  of  monkeys,  are  supported  on 
the  mother's  back,  held  there  by  a  shawl  or  rebozo 
tied  securely  across  the  chest.  When  the  children 
are  six  or  eight  years  old,  they  are  promoted  to  the 
dignity  of  wearing  one  small  garment,  an  abbreviated 
shirt  or  chemise.  ' 

The  principal  food  of  the  common  people  of  north- 
em  Brazil  is  farina  and  dried  fish,  with  fried  plan- 
tains and  ripe  bananas.  Crabs  and  oysters  of  a  poor 
description  abound  along  the  coast,  and  are  eaten  by 
the  people,  both  in  a  raw  and  cooked  condition.  But 
the  white  people  avoid  the  coast  oysters,  which  some- 
times poison  those  not  accustomed  to  them. 

The  finest  avenue  in  Para  is  the  Estrada  de  Sao 
Josd,  bordered  by  grand  old  palms,  which  form  a  beau- 
tiful perspective  and  a  welcome  shade,  the  feathery 
tops  nearly  embracing  each  other  overhead.  Tlie 
tramway  takes  one  through  the  environs  by  the  Rua 
de  Nazareth,  for  five  miles  to  Marco  da  Legua,  where 
the  public  wells  of  the  city  are  situated.  The  way 
thither  is  lined  with  neat  and  handsome  dwellings, 


THE  INDIA-RUBBER   TREE.  Ill 

shaded  by  noble  trees.  The  botanical  garden  is  well 
worth  a  visit  by  all  lovers  of  horticulture.  The  forest 
creeps  up  towards  the  environs  of  the  town,  wherein 
many  of  the  trees  are  rendered  beautiful  by  clinging 
orchids  of  gorgeous  blue ;  others  are  of  blood  red,  and 
some  of  orange  yellow,  presenting  also  a  great  diver- 
sity of  form.  One  has  not  far  to  go  to  see  specimens 
of  the  india-rubber  tree,  growing  from  ninety  to  a 
hundred  feet  in  height,  while  measuring  from  four  to 
five  feet  in  diameter.  This  tree  begins  to  produce 
gum  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years.  The  trunk  is  smooth 
and  perfectly  round,  the  bark  of  a  buff  color.  It 
bears  a  curious  fruit,  of  which  some  animals  are  said 
to  be  fond.  The  author  has  seen  the  india-rubber 
tree  growing  in  the  island  of  Ceylon,  where  it  seemed 
to  reach  a  greater  height  and  dimensions  than  it  does 
in  the  district  of  Para.  A  considerable  portion  of  the 
roots  lie  above  ground,  stretching  away  from  the  base 
of  the  tree  like  huge  anacondas,  and  finally  disap- 
pearing in  the  earth  half  a  rod  or  more  from  the  par- 
ent trunk.  The  reader  can  hardly  fail  to  be  familiar 
with  the  simple  wild  plant,  which  grows  so  abun- 
dantly by  our  New  England  roadsides,  known  as  the 
milk-weed,  which,  when  the  stem  is  cut  or  broken, 
emits  a  creamy,  pungent  smelling  liquid.  In  the 
latitude  of  Para,  this  little  weed,  of  the  same  family, 
assumes  the  form  of  a  colossal  tree,  and  is  known  as 
the  india-rubber  tree.  The  United  States  takes  of 
Brazilian  rubber,  in  the  crude  state,  over  twenty -five 
thousand  tons  annually.    As  to  coffee,  Brazil  supplies 


112  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

one  half  of  all  which  is  consumed  in  the  civilized 
world  ;  but  we  should  frankly  tell  the  reader,  if  he 
does  not  already  realize  the  fact,  that  it  is  most  fre- 
quently marked  and  sold  for  "Old  Government 
Java." 

The  india-rubber  tree  is  tapped  annually  very  much 
after  the  same  style  in  which  we  treat  the  sugar-maple 
in  Vermont,  and  elsewhere,  to  procure  its  sap.  A  yel- 
low, creamy  liquid  flows  forth  from  the  rubber  tree 
into  small  cups  placed  beneath  an  incision  made  in  the 
trunk.  When  the  cup  becomes  full,  its  contents  is 
emptied  into  a  large  common  receptacle,  where  it  is 
allowed  to  partially  harden,  and  in  which  form  it 
is  called  caoutchouc.  The  tapping  of  the  trees  and 
attending  to  the  gathering  of  the  sap  furnish  em- 
ployment to  himdreds  of  the  natives,  who,  however, 
make  but  small  wages,  being  employed  by  contrac- 
tors, who  either  lease  the  trees  of  certain  districts,  or 
own  large  tracts  of  forest  land.  These  Brazilian 
forests  are  very  grand,  abounding  in  valuable  aro- 
matic plants,  precious  woods,  gaudy  birds,  and  va- 
rious wild  animals.  The  number  of  monkeys  is  ab- 
solutely marvelous,  including  many  curious  varieties. 
A  native  will  not  kill  a  monkey ;  indeed,  it  must  be 
difficult  for  a  European  to  make  up  his  mind  to  shoot 
a  creature  so  nearly  human  in  its  actions,  and  whose 
pleading  cries  when  woimded  are  said  to  be  so  pitiable. 

One  of  the  peculiar  street  sights  in  Para  is  that 
of  native  women  with  a  dozen  young  monkeys  of  dif- 
ferent species  for  sale.     Marmosets  can  be  bought  for 


THE  ROYAL   PALM.  118 

a  quarter  of  a  dollar  each.  So  tame  are  the  little 
creatures  that  they  cling  about  the  woman's  person, 
fastening  upon  her  hair,  arms,  and  neck,  not  in  the 
least  inclined  to  escape  from  her.  It  is  remarkable 
and  interesting  to  see  how  very  fond  they  become  of 
their  owner,  if  he  is  kind  to  them.  Like  the  dog 
and  the  cat,  they  seem  to  have  a  strong  desire  for 
human  companionship.  When  seen  running  wild  in 
the  woods,  leaping  from  tree  to  tree,  and  from  branch 
to  branch,  they  do  not  try  to  get  far  away  from 
the  presence  of  man,  but  only  to  keep,  in  their  un- 
tamed state,  just  out  of  reach  of  his  hands.  Ships 
sailing  hence  generally  take  away  a  few  of  these  ani- 
mals, but  as  they  are  delicate,  and  very  sensitive  to 
climatic  changes,  many  of  them  die  before  reaching 
Europe  or  North  America. 

The  great  beauty  of  Para  is  its  abundance  of  palm 
trees.  The  palm  is  always  an  interesting  object,  as 
well  as  a  most  valuable  one ;  interesting  because  of  its 
historical  and  legendary  associations,  and  valuable, 
since  it  would  be  almost  impossible  to  enumerate  the 
number  of  important  uses  to  which  it  and  its  products 
are  put.  To  the  people  of  the  tropics  it  is  the  prolific 
source  of  food,  shelter,  clothing,  fuel,  fibre  for  sev- 
eral uses,  sugar,  oil,  wax,  and  wine.  It  has  been 
aptly  termed  the  "princess  of  the  vegetable  world." 
One  indigenous  species,  the  Piassaba,  is  a  palm  which 
yields  a  most  valuable  fibre,  extensively  manufactured 
into  cordage  and  ships'  cables,  for  which  purpose  it 
is  much  in  use  on  the  coast  of  South  America.     It 


114  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

is  found  to  be  stronger  and  more  elastic  than  hemp 
when  thus  employed,  besides  which  it  is  far  more  dur- 
able. The  product  of  this  species  of  palm  is  also  ex- 
ported in  large  quantities  to  North  America  and  to 
England,  for  the  purpose  of  making  brushes,  brooms, 
and  various  sorts  of  domestic  matting. 

The  nights  are  especially  beautiful  in  this  region. 
We  were  interested  in  observing  the  remarkable  bril- 
liancy of  the  sky ;  the  stars  do  not  seem  to  sparkle,  as 
with  us  at  the  north,  but  shed  a  soft,  steady  light, 
making  all  things  luminous.  This  is  the  natural  re- 
sult of  the"  clearness  of  the  atmosphere.  One  is  sur- 
prised at  first  to  find  the  moon  apparently  so  much  in- 
creased in  size  and  effulgency.  The  Southern  Cross 
is  ever  present,  though  it  is  dominated  by  the  Centaur. 
Orion  is  seen  in  his  glory,  and  the  Scorpion  is  clearly 
defined.  In  the  author's  estimation,  there  is  no  exhi- 
bition of  the  heavens  in  these  regions  which  surpasses 
the  magnificence  of  the  far-reaching  Milky  Way. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Island  of  Marajo.  —  Rare  and  Beautiful  Birds. — Original  Mode  of 
Securing  Humming-Birds.  —  Maranhao.  —  Educational.  —  Value  of 
Native  Forests.  —  Pernambuco.  —  Difficulty  of  Landing.  —  An  Ill- 
chosen  Name.  —  Local  Scenes.  —  Uncleanly  Habits  of  the  People.  — 
Great  Sugar  Mart.  —  Native  Houses.  —  A  Quaint  Hostelry.  —  Cata- 
marans. —  A  Natural  Breakwater.  —  Sailing  down  the  Coast. 

The  island  of  Marajo,  situated  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Amazon,  opposite  Para,  and  belonging  to  the  province 
or  state  of  that  name,  is  a  hundred  and  eighty  miles 
in  length  and  about  one  hundred  and  sixty  in  width, 
nearly  identical  in  size  with  the  island  of  Sicily,  and 
almost  oval  in  form.  One  of  the  principal  shore 
settlements  is  Breves,  on  the  southeastern  corner  of 
the  island,  which  lies  somewhat  low,  and  consists  of 
remarkably  fertile  soil,  so  abounding  in  wild  and 
beautiful  vegetation  and  exquisite  floral  varieties, 
that  it  is  called  in  this  region  "the  Island  of  Flow- 
ers." We  can  easily  believe  the  name  to  be  appropri- 
ately chosen,  since,  as  we  skirt  its  verdant  shores  hour 
after  hour,  they  seem  to  emit  the  drowsy,  caressing 
sweetness  of  fragrant  flowers  so  sensibly  as  to  almost 
produce  a  narcotic  effect.  The  easterly  or  most  sea- 
ward part  of  Marajo  is  open,  marshy,  sandy  land,  but 
back  from  the  shore  the  soil  is  of  a  rich,  black  allu- 
vium, supporting  in  very  large  tracts  a  dense  forest 


116  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

growth,  similar  to  all  the  low  lying  tropical  lands  of 
South  America.  The  population  is  recorded  as  num- 
bering about  twenty  thousand,  divided  into  several 
settlements,  mostly  on  the  coast,  and  consists  largely 
of  the  aboriginal  race  found  by  the  first  comers  upon 
this  island,  who,  on  account  of  their  somewhat  isolated 
condition,  have  amalgamated  less  with  Europeans  and 
the  imported  colored  race  than  any  other  tribe  on  the 
east  coast  of  the  continent. 

The  extensive  meadows  of  Mara  jo  are  the  grazing 
fields  of  numerous  herds  of  wild  horses  and  horned 
cattle,  the  former  of  a  superior  breed,  highly  prized 
on  the  mainland ;  and  yet  so  rapidly  do  they  increase 
in  this  climate,  in  the  wild  state,  that  every  few  years 
they  are  killed  in  large  numbers  for  their  hides  alone. 
The  exports  from  the  island  consist  of  rice,  cattle, 
horses,  and  hides.  There  are  some  large  plantations 
devoted  to  the  cultivation  of  rice,  the  soil  and  water 
supply  of  certain  districts  being  especially  favorable 
to  this  crop.  As  intimated,  a  considerable  portion  of 
Marajo  is  covered  with  a  forest  growth  so  dense  as  to 
be  compared  to  the  jungles  of  Africa  and  India,  and 
which,  so  far  as  is  known,  has  never  been  penetrated 
by  the  foot  of  man.  Travelers  who  have  visited  the 
borders  of  this  leafy  wilderness  expatiate  upon  the 
strange,  inexplicable  sounds  which  are  heard  at  times, 
amid  the  prevailing  stillness  and  sombre  aspect  of 
these  primeval  woods.  Sometimes  there  comes,  it 
is  said,  from  out  the  forest  depth  a  wild  cry,  like  that 
of  a  human  being  in  distress,  but  which,  however  long 


PARADISE   OF  NATURALISTS.  117 

one  may  listen,  is  not  repeated.  Again,  there  is 
heard  an  awful  crash,  like  the  falling  of  some  pon- 
derous forest  giant,  then  stillness  once  more  settles 
over  the  mysterious,  tangled  woods.  Every  time  the 
silence  is  broken  it  seems  to  be  by  some  new  and  in- 
explicable sound,  not  to  be  satisfactorily  accoimted  for. 

The  lagoons  near  the  centre  of  Marajo  are  said  to 
abound  in  alligators,  which  are  sometimes  sought  for 
by  the  natives  for  their  hides,  for  which  a  fair  price 
is  realized,  since  fashion  has  rendered  this  article 
popular  in  a  hundred  different  forms.  The  nmn- 
ber  and  variety  of  birds  and  lesser  animals  to  be 
found  upon  the  island  are  marvelous.  Certain  species 
of  birds  seem  to  have  retreated  to  this  spot  from  the 
mainland,  before  the  tide  of  European  immigration; 
indeed,  it  has  for  a  long  time  been  considered  the 
paradise  of  the  naturalist.  Over  thirty  species  of  that 
peculiar  bird,  the  toucan,  have  been  secured  here. 

When  Professor  Agassiz  was  engaged  in  his  scien- 
tific exploration  of  the  Amazon,  he  dispatched  a  small 
but  competent  party  especially  to  obtain  specimens 
from  this  island,  the  result  being  both  a  surprise  and 
a  source  of  great  gratification  to  the  king  of  natural- 
ists. Many  of  the  objects  secured  by  these  explorers 
were  rare  and  beautiful  birds,  not  a  few  of  which  are 
unique,  and  of  which  no  previous  record  existed. 
There  were  also  many  curious  insects  and  other  speci- 
mens particularly  valuable  to  naturalists,  most  of  which 
are  preserved  to-day  in  the  Agassiz  Museum  at  Cam- 
bridge, Massachusetts.     The  toucan,  just  spoken  of, 


118  EQUATORIAL   AMERICA. 

is  most  remarkable  for  its  beauty  and  variety  of  col- 
ors, as  well  as  for  the  very  peculiar  form  and  size 
of  its  elephantine  bill,  which  makes  it  look  singularly 
ill -balanced.  This  ludicrous  appendage  is  nine  inches 
long  and  three  in  circumference ;  the  color  is  vermilion 
and  yellow  delicately  mingled.  The  toucan  is  much 
coveted  for  special  collections  by  all  naturalists,  and 
is  becoming  very  scarce,  except  in  this  one  equatorial 
locality.  Scarlet  ibises  and  roseate  spoonbills  are 
also  found  at  Marajo,  both  remarkably  fine  examples 
of  semi-aquatic  fowl,  and  when  these  are  secured  in 
good  condition  for  preservation,  the  natives  realize 
good  prices  for  them.  In  order  to  procure  desirable 
specimens  of  the  humming-bird  species,  which  are 
also  abundant  on  this  island,  the  native  hunters  resort 
to  an  ingenious  device,  so  as  not  to  injure  the  skin  or 
the  extremely  delicate  plumage  of  this  butterfly -bird. 
For  this  purpose  they  use  a  peculiar  syringe  made  from 
reeds,  and  charged  with  a  solution  of  adhesive  gum, 
which,  when  directed  by  an  experienced  hand,  clogs 
the  bird's  wings  at  once,  stopping  its  flight  and  caus- 
ing it  to  fall  to  the  ground.  Some  are  caught  by  means 
of  nets  set  on  the  end  of  long  bamboo  poles,  such  as 
are  used  to  secure  butterflies,  but  this  method  is  poorly 
adapted  to  catch  so  quick  moving  a  creature  as  a  hum- 
ming-bird. The  author  has  seen,  in  southern  India, 
butterflies  of  gaudiest  texture  with  bodies  as  large  as 
small  humming-birds,  which  were  quite  as  brilliant 
as  they  in  lovely  colors.  The  variety  and  beauty 
of  this  insect,  as  found  anywhere  from  Tuticorin  to 


ISLAND  OF  MARA  JO.  119 

Darjeeling,  is  notable.  Wherever  British  troops  are 
permanently  settled,  the  wives  of  the  common  soldiers 
become  very  expert  in  catching  and  arranging  these 
attractive  objects,  preserving  them  in  frames  under 
glass.  These  find  ready  purchasers  for  museums  and 
private  collections  all  over  Europe,  and  are  sold  at 
moderate  prices,  but  serve  to  add  a  welcome  trifle  to 
the  extremely  poor  pay  of  a  common  soldier  having 
perhaps  a  wife  and  one  or  two  children  to  support. 

The  island  of  Marajo  was  not  formed  at  the  Ama- 
zon's mouth  of  soil  brought  down  from  the  interior  by 
the  river's  current,  as  is  often  the  case  with  islands 
thus  situated,  but  is  a  natural,  rocky  formation  which 
serves  to  divide  the  channel  and  give  the  river  a 
double  outlet  into  the  Atlantic.  Agassiz  studied  its 
character,  and  gives  us  an  interesting  statement  as  the 
result.  He  declared,  after  careful  geological  exami- 
nation, that  it  is  an  island  which  was  once  situated 
far  inland,  away  from  the  river's  mouth,  but  which 
is  now  brought  near  to  it  by  the  gradual  encroach- 
ment of  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  whose  waves  and  rest- 
less currents  have  slowly  worn  away  the  northeastern 
part  of  the  continent.  This  abrasion  must  have 
been  going  on  for  many  thousand  years,  to  have  pro- 
duced such  a  decided  topographical  change.  For  the 
word  years,  upon  second  thought,  read  ages,  which 
will  undoubtedly  express  the  true  idea  much  more 
correctly. 

There  are  over  twenty  species  of  palms  indigenous 
to  Marajo,  which,  as  one  skirts  the  water  front,  are 


120  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

seen  growing  along  the  far-reaching  shore,  fostered  by 
the  humidity  of  the  atmosphere  arising  from  the  ever- 
flowing  waters  of  the  great  river.  Among  these  the 
peach-palm  is  quite  conspicuous,  with  its  spiny  stems 
and  mealy,  nutritious  fruit.  There  are  also  the 
cocoa-palm  and  the  assai-pahn,  the  latter  gayly  dec- 
orated with  its  delicate  green  plumes  and  long  spear 
pointing  heavenward,  an  emblem  borne  by  no  other 
tree  in  existence.  The  great  variety  of  forms  of  plant 
life  and  giant  grasses  is  extremely  curious  and  beau- 
tiful on  this  interesting  island.  We  heard,  while  at 
Para,  of  a  proposal  made  by  some  European  party  to 
thoroughly  explore  Marajo,  which  has  never  yet  been 
done,  so  far  as  is  known  to  our  time,  and  it  is  believed 
that  some  very  interesting  and  valuable  discoveries 
may  be  the  result  of  such  an  expedition,  composed  of 
engineers,  scientists,  and  naturalists. 

A  day's  sail  to  the  eastward,  bearing  a  little  to  the 
south  along  the  coast,  brings  us  to  the  port  of  Ma- 
ranhao,  which  is  the  capital  of  a  province  of  Brazil 
known  by  the  same  name,  situated  a  little  over  three 
hundred  miles  from  Para.  The  place  is  picturesquely 
nestled,  as  it  were,  in  the  very  lap  of  the  mountains, 
which  come  boldly  down  to  the  coast  at  this  point. 
It  was  founded  nearly  three  hundred  years  ago,  is 
regularly  built,  and  contains  between  thirty  and  forty 
thousand  inhabitants.  Nearly  all  of  the  houses,  which 
are  generally  of  two  stories,  are  ornamented  with  at- 
tractive balconies,  and  have  handsome  gardens  attached 
to  them,  where  the  luxurious  verdure  is  with  difficulty 


I 


MARANHAO.  121 

kept  within  proper  bounds.  Vegetation  runs  riot  in 
equatorial  regions.  It  is  the  one  pleasing  outlet  of 
nature,  whose  overcharged  vitality,  spurred  on  by  the 
climate,  must  find  vent  either  in  teeming  vegetation 
or  in  raging  volcanoes,  tidal  waves,  and  unwelcome 
earthquakes,  though  sometimes,  to  be  sure,  we  find 
them  all  combined  in  the  tropics. 

The  harbor  of  Maranhao  is  excellent  and  sheltered, 
the  depth  of  water  permitting  the  entrance  of  ships 
drawing  full  twenty  feet,  an  advantage  which  some 
of  the  ports  to  the  southward  would  give  millions  of 
dollars  to  possess.  According  to  published  statistics, 
the  exports  during  1890  were  as  follows:  thirty-six 
hundred  tons  of  cotton,  six  hundred  tons  of  sugar, 
seven  hundred  tons  of  hides,  a  large  amount  of  rice, 
and  some  other  minor  articles.  The  imports  for  the 
same  period  were  estimated  at  something  less  than 
three  million  dollars  in  value.  This  is  the  entrepot 
of  several  populous  districts,  besides  that  of  which 
it  is  the  capital.  The  province  itself  contains  a 
nmnber  of  navigable  rivers,  with  some  thrifty  towns 
on  their  banks.  The  bay  gives  ample  evidence  of 
commercial  activity,  containing  at  all  times  a  number 
of  foreign  steamships,  with  a  goodly  show  of  coasting 
vessels.  The  place  is  slowly  but  steadily  growing  in 
its  business  relations,  and  in  the  number  of  its  per- 
manent population. 

It  cannot  make  any  pretension  to  architectural 
excellence,  though  the  Bishop's  palace  and  the  ca- 
thedral are  handsome  structures.     There  are  two  or 


122  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

three  other  prominent  edifices,  quaint  and  Moorish, 
which  were  once  nunneries  or  monasteries;  also  a 
foundling  institution,  a  special  necessity  in  all  Roman 
Catholic  countries.  We  found  here  a  public  library, 
and  a  botanical  garden.  Not  far  inland  there  are 
some  extensive  rice  plantations,  the  province  in  some 
portions  being  specially  adapted  to  producing  this 
valuable  staple.  We  were  informed  by  those  whose 
opinion  was  worthy  of  respect,  that  educational  advan- 
tages are  rather  remarkable  here,  the  Lyceum  having 
in  the  past  few  years  graduated  some  of  the  most 
prominent  statesmen  and  professionals  in  Brazil. 
One  thing  is  very  certain,  the  authorities  cannot  mul- 
tiply educational  facilities  any  too  rapidly  in  this 
coimtry,  nor  give  the  subject  any  too  much  attention, 
especially  as  regards  the  rising  generation  of  both 
sexes.  So  far  as  we  could  learn  by  inquiry,  or  judge 
by  careful  observation,  the  ignorance  of  the  mass  of 
the  people  is  simply  deplorable. 

Maranhao  is  situated  about  fourteen  hundred  miles 
north  of  Rio  Janeiro,  with  which  port  it  carries  on 
an  extensive  coasting  trade.  The  exports,  besides  the 
staples  already  spoken  of,  are  various,  including  an- 
notto,  sarsaparilla,  balsam  copaiba,  and  other  medi- 
cinal extracts,  together  with  rum  and  crude  india- 
rubber.  The  climate  is  torrid,  the  city  being  one 
himdred  and  fifty  miles  south "  of  the  equator ;  and 
though,  like  most  of  the  towns  on  the  eastern  coast 
of  the  continent,  it  is  rather  an  unhealthy  locality,  it 
is  much  less  so  than  Para,  and  is  a  far  more  cleanly 


LOCAL  PRODUCTS.  123 

place  than  that  city,  its  situation  giving  it  the  advan- 
tage of  a  system  of  natural  drainage.  The  country 
near  Maranhao  abounds  in  native  forests  of  exuber- 
ant richness,  producing  a  valuable  quality  of  timber, 
and  affording  some  of  the  finest  cabinet  woods  known 
to  commerce,  as  well  as  a  practically  inexhaustible 
supply  of  various  dyewoods,  a  considerable  business 
being  done  in  the  export  of  the  latter  article.  It  was 
observed  that  the  assai-palm,  from  which  the  palm 
wine  is  made,  was  also  a  prominent  feature  here. 
The  trunk  is  quite  smooth,  the  fruit  growing  in  heavy 
bunches  like  grapes,  dark  brown  in  color,  and  about 
the  size  of  cranberries,  hanging  in  heavy  clusters  just 
below  the  bunch  of  long  leaves  which  forms  the  top  of 
the  tree.  The  native  drink  which  is  made  from  these 
palm  grapes  is  a  favorite  beverage  in  northern  Bra- 
zil, and  when  properly  fermented  it  contains  about  the 
same  percentage  of  alcohol  as  English  pale  ale. 

To  the  author,  the  town  of  Maranhao  was  quite 
unknown;  even  its  place  upon  the  maps  had  never 
attracted  his  attention  until  after  it  was  seen  lying 
peacefully  in  an  amphitheatre  of  tall  hills,  which  come 
down  close  to  the  rock-ribbed  shore  of  the  Atlantic 
Ocean.  This  acknowledgment  is  between  ourselves, 
for  such  a  confession  would  sound  very  ridiculous  to 
the  good  people  of  Maranhao. 

After  leaving  its  harbor,  our  next  objective  point 
was  Pernambuco,  which  is  situated  about  four  days' 
sail  from  Para  by  steamship,  and  about  three  from 
Maranhao. 


124  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

This  well-known  port,  with  its  one  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  inhabitants,  is  reckoned  as  the  third  city  of 
Brazil  in  point  of  size  and  commercial  importance. 
It  lacks  elevation  to  produce  a  good  effect,  and  recalls 
the  low -lying  city  of  Havana  in  general  appearance, 
as  one  approaches  it  from  the  sea.  The  harbor  is  not 
what  could  be  desired  for  a  commercial  city,  having 
hardly  sufficient  depth  of  water  for  vessels  of  heavy 
tonnage,  and  being  also  too  narrow  for  a  modern  long 
steamship  to  safely  turn  in.  The  American  line  of 
steamships  come  to  a  mooring  inside  the  harbor,  but 
the  European  lines,  or  at  least  the  Pacific  Mail,  in 
which  we  made  the  home  passage,  anchor  in  the  open 
roadstead,  three  quarters  of  a  mile  from  the  shore. 
The  harbor  is  formed  by  a  long  natural  reef,  which 
makes  a  breakwater  between  it  and  the  open  sea,  a 
portion  of  the  reef  having  been  built  up  with  solid 
masonry  to  render  it  more  effective.  This  remark- 
able coral  formation,  which  is  more  or  less  clearly 
defined,  extends  along  the  coast  for  a  considerable 
distance,  —  it  is  said  for  four  hundred  miles.  Op- 
posite Pernambuco  it  rises  six  feet  above  the  water, 
that  is,  above  high-water  mark,  and  runs  parallel  to 
the  front  street  of  the  city  at  the  distance  from  it  of 
about  a  third  of  a  mile  or  less.  A  wide  opening  in 
the  reef  at  the  northern  end  of  the  town  makes  the 
entrance  to  the  harbor.  Off  the  northeast  coast  of 
Australia,  there  is  a  very  similar  reef -formation,  fully 
as  long  as  this  on  the  South  American  coast,  but 
situated  much  furthe/  from  the  shore. 


HARBOR   OF  PERNAMBUCO.  125 

It  is  a  serious  drawback  that  passengers  by  large 
ocean  steamers  cannot  enter  the  harbor  of  Pernam- 
buco  except  by  lighters  or  open  boats  ;  all  freight 
brought  by  these  steamers  must  also  be  transhipped. 
Landing  here  is  often  accomplished  at  considerable 
personal  risk,  and  a  thorough  ducking  with  salt  water 
is  not  at  all  uncommon  in  the  attempt  to  reach  the 
shore.  To  pidl  a  boat  from  the  open  roadstead  into 
the  harbor,  or  vice  versa,  requires  six  stout  oarsmen 
and  an  experienced  man  at  the  helm,  so  that  landing 
from  the  Pacific  Mail  steamers  is  both  a  serious  and 
an  expensive  affair.  If  a  very  heavy  sea  is  running, 
the  thing  cannot  be  done,  and  no  one  will  attempt  it. 
The  powerful  wind  which  so  often  prevails  on  the  coast 
occasionally  creates  quite  a  commotion  even  inside  the 
harbor,  among  the  shipping  moored  there,  causing  the 
largest  cables  to  part  and  vessels  to  drag  their  an- 
chors. Of  course  a  vessel  lying  in  the  open  road- 
stead, outside  of  the  reef,  has  no  protection  whatever, 
and  is  in  a  critical  situation  if  the  wind  blows  to- 
wards the  land.  If  it  comes  on  to  blow  suddenly,  she 
buoys  and  slips  her  anchor  at  once;  she  dares  not 
waste  the  time  to  hoist  it,  but  gets  away  as  quickly 
as  possible  to  where  there  is  plenty  of  sea  room  and 
no  lee  shore  to  fear.  Fortunately,  though  so  fierce  for 
the  time  being,  and  of  a  cyclonic  character,  the  storms 
upon  the  coast  are  generally  of  brief  duration,  and 
like  the  furious  pamperos,  which  are  so  dreaded  by 
mariners  further  south,  they  blow  themselves  out  in 
a  few  hours. 


126  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

The  geographical  situation  of  Pernambuco  is  such, 
in  the  track  of  commerce,  that  vessels  boimd  north  or 
south,  from  Europe  or  from  North  America,  naturally 
make  it  a  port  of  call  to  obtain  late  advices  and  pro- 
visions. The  name  has  been  singularly  chosen,  no 
one  can  say  how  or  by  whom,  but  it  signifies  "the 
mouth  of  hell,"  a  cognomen  which  we  do  not  think 
the  place  at  all  deserves.  It  is  a  narrow,  crowded, 
picturesque  old  seaport. 

The  toAvn  is  situated  at  the  mouth  of  the  Biberibe 
River,  just  five  hundred  miles  south  of  the  equator, 
and  is  divided  in  rather  a  peculiar  manner  into  three 
distinct  parts:  Recife,  on  a  narrow  peninsida;  Boa 
Vista,  on  the  river  shore;  and  San  Antonio,  on  an 
island  in  the  river;  all  being  connected,  however,  by 
six  or  eight  substantial  iron  bridges.  The  first  named 
division  is  the  business  portion  of  the  capital,  about 
whose  water  front  the  commercial  life  of  Pernambuco 
centres,  but  the  streets  of  Recife  are  very  narrow  and 
often  confusingly  crooked.  Boa  Vista  is  beautified 
by  pleasant  domestic  residences,  delightful  gardens, 
and  attractive  promenades,  far  beyond  anything  which 
a  stranger  anticipates  meeting  in  this  part  of  the 
world.  Though  the  business  portion  of  the  city  is  so 
low,  the  other  sections  are  of  better  and  more  recent 
construction. 

The  view  of  the  town  and  harbor  to  be  had  from 
some  portions  of  Olinda  is  very  fine  and  compre- 
hensive, taking  in  a  wide  reach  of  land  and  ocean. 
When  a  brief  storm  is   raging,   spending  its  force 


DISREGARD  OF  SANITARY  CONDITIONS.     127 

against  the  reef,  the  view  from  this  point  is  indeed 
grand.  The  sea,  angered  at  meeting  a  substantial 
impediment,  seethes  and  foams  in  wild  excitement, 
dashing  fifty  feet  into  the  air,  and,  falling  over  the 
reef,  lashes  the  inner  waters  of  the  harbor  into  waves 
which  mount  the  landing  piers,  and  set  everything 
afloat  in  the  broad  plaza  which  lines  the  shore.  The 
big  ships  rock  and  sway  incessantly,  straining  at  their 
anchors,  or  chafing  dangerously  at  their  moorings. 
Precautions  are  taken  to  avert  damage,  but  man's 
strength  and  skill  count  for  little  when  opposed  by  the 
enraged  elements. 

This  plaza,  or  quay,  is  shaded  by  aged  magnolias  of 
great  height,  and  is  the  resort  of  unemployed  seamen, 
fruit  dealers,  and  idlers  of  all  degrees.  The  house- 
fronts  in  the  various  sections  of  the  town  are  bril- 
liantly colored,  yellow,  blue,  white,  and  pink,  also 
sometimes  being  covered  halfway  up  the  first  story 
with  glittering  tiles  of  various  hues.  At  nearly  every 
turn  one  comes  upon  the  mossgrown,  crumbling  fa- 
cade of  some  old  church,  about  the  corners  of  which 
there  is  often  a  grossly  filthy  receptacle,  the  vile  odor 
from  which  permeates  the  surrounding  atmosphere. 
This  was  found  to  be  almost  insupportable  with  the 
thermometer  standing  at  90°  Fahr.  in  the  shade, 
forming  so  obvious  a  means  for  propagating  malarial 
fever  and  sickness  generally  as  to  be  absolutely  ex- 
asperating. Notwithstanding  all  appearances,  the 
American  consul  assured  us  that  Pernambuco  is  one 
of  the  healthiest  cities  on  the  east  coast  of  South 


128  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

America.  The  yellow  fever,  however,  does  not  by 
any  means  forget  to  visit  the  place  annually.  Expe- 
rience showed  us  that  the  residents  along  the  coast 
were  accustomed  to  give  their  own  city  precedence  in 
the  matter  of  hygienic  conditions,  and  to  admit,  with 
serious  faces,  that  the  other  capitals,  north  and 
south,  were  sadly  afflicted  by  epidemics  at  nearly  all 
seasons. 

Pemambuco  has  several  quite  small  but  well-ar- 
ranged public  squares,  decorated  with  fountains,  trees, 
and  flowers  of  many  species.  Two  of  these  plazas 
have  handsome  pagodas,  from  which  outdoor  concerts 
are  often  given  by  military  bands.  The  city  is  a 
thriving  and  progressive  place,  has  extensive  gas 
works,  an  admirable  system  of  water  supply,  tram- 
ways, good  public  schools,  and  one  college  or  high 
school.  We  must  not  forget  to  add  to  this  list  a 
very  Jlourishing  foundling  asylum,  where  any  num- 
ber of  poor  little  waifs  are  constantly  being  received, 
and  no  questions  asked.  A  revolving  box  or  cradle 
is  placed  in  a  wall  of  the  hospital,  next  to  the  street, 
in  which  any  person  can  deposit  an  infant,  ring  the 
bell,  and  the  cradle  will  revolve,  leaving  the  child 
on  the  inside  of  the  establishment,  where  the  little 
deserted  object  will  be  duly  cared  for.  Connected 
with  the  hospital  are  several  outlying  buildings,  where 
children  are  placed  at  various  stages  of  growth.  We 
were  told  that  about  forty  per  cent,  of  such  children 
live  to  grow  up  to  maturity,  and  leave  the  care  of 
the  government  fairly  well  fitted  to  take  their  place 


DOMESTIC  HABITS.  129 

in  the  world,  and  to  fight  the  battle  of  life  so  very 
inauspiciously  begun.  It  has  been  strongly  argued 
that  such  an  establishment  offers  a  premium  upon 
illegitimacy  and  immorality;  but  one  thing  is  to  be 
considered,  it  prevents  the  terrible  crime  of  infanti- 
cide, which  is  said  to  have  prevailed  here  to  an  alarm- 
ing extent  before  this  hospital  was  founded. 

There  is  a  passably  good  system  of  drainage,  which 
was  certainly  very  much  needed,  and  since  its  com- 
pletion the  general  health  of  the  place  is  said  to  have 
considerably  improved.  This  is  not  all  that  is  re- 
quired, however.  There  should  be  a  decided  reform 
in  the  habits  of  the  people  as  regards  cleanliness.  At 
present  they  are  positively  revolting.  The  inhabit- 
ants are  the  very  reverse  of  neat  in  their  domestic  as- 
sociations, and  home  arrangements  for  natural  conven- 
iences are  inexcusably  objectionable ;  such,  indeed,  as 
would  in  a  North  American  city,  or  even  small  town, 
call  for  the  prompt  interference  of  the  local  board  of 
health.  These  remarks  do  not  apply  to  isolated  cases ; 
the  trouble  is  universal.  Families  living  otherwise  in 
comparative  affluence  utterly  disregard  neatness  and 
decency  in  the  matter  to  which  we  allude. 

The  districts  neighboring  to  Pernambuco  form  ex- 
tensive plains,  well  adapted  to  the  raising  of  sugar, 
coffee,  and  cotton,  as  well  as  all  sorts  of  tropical  fruits 
and  vegetables.  There  are  many  flourishing  planta- 
tions representing  Jhese  several  interests,  more  espe- 
cially that  of  sugar.  The  storehouses  on  the  wharves 
and  in  the  business  sections  of  the  city,  the  oxcarts 


130  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

passing  through  the  streets,  drawn  each  by  a  smgie 
animal,  and  even  the  very  atmosphere,  seem  to  be  full 
of  sugar.  It  is,  in  fact,  the  great  sugar  mart  of 
South  America.  The  annual  amount  of  the  article 
which  is  exported  averages  some  twelve  hundred  thou- 
sand tons.  Sugar  is  certainly  king  at  Pernambueo. 
People  not  only  drink,  but  they  talk  sugar.  It  is  the 
one  great  interest  about  which  all  other  business  re- 
volves. The  article  is  mostly  of  the  lower  grade,  and 
requires  to  be  refined  before  it  is  suitable  for  the  mar- 
ket. The  refining  process  is  being  generally  adopted 
at  the  plantations.  American  machinery  is  intro- 
duced for  the  purpose  with  entire  success.  The  ex- 
port of  the  crude  article  will,  it  is  believed,  be  much 
less  every  year  for  the  future,  until  it  ceases  alto- 
gether. It  was  a  singular  sight  to  observe  the  naked 
negroes  carrying  canvas  bags  of  crude  sugar  upon 
their  heads  through  the  streets,  each  bag  weighing  a 
himdred  pounds  or  more.  The  intense  heat  caused 
the  canvas  to  exude  quantities  of  syrup  or  molasses, 
which  covered  their  dark,  glossy  bodies  with  small 
streams  of  fluid.  They  trotted  along  in  single  file, 
and  at  a  quick  pace,  towards  their  destination,  un- 
heeding the  sticky  condition  of  their  woolly  heads  and 
naked  bodies. 

Not  far  inland  there  are  extensive  meadows,  where 
large  herds  of  horned  cattle  are  raised,  together  with 
a  breed  of  half -wild  horses,  the  breaking  and  domes- 
ticating of  which,  as  here  practiced,  is  a  most  cruel 
process.     A  certain  set  of  men  devote  themselves  to 


HARBOR  IMPROVEMENTS.  131 

this  business ;  rough  riders,  we  should  call  them,  very- 
rough.  Good  horses  are  to  be  had  at  extraordina- 
rily low  prices.  In  the  back  country  there  are  some 
grand  and  extensive  forests,  which  produce  fine  cabinet 
woods  and  superior  dye  woods. 

By  consulting  a  map  of  the  western  hemisphere, 
it  will  be  seen  that  Pernambuco  is  situated  on  the 
great  eastern  shovdder  of  South  America,  where  it 
pushes  farthest  into  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  fifteen  hun- 
dred miles  south  of  Para,  and  about  five  hundred 
north  of  Bahia.  On  the  long  coral  reef  which  sepa- 
rates the  harbor  from  the  open  sea  is  a  picturesque 
lighthouse,  also  a  quaint  old  watch  tower  which  dates 
from  the  time  of  the  Dutch  dominion  here.  It  is  pro- 
posed to  build  additional  layers  of  heavy  granite 
blocks  upon  the  reef,  so  as  to  raise  it  about  six  or 
eight  feet  higher  and  make  it  of  a  uniform  elevation 
along  the  entire  city  front,  and  thus  afford  almost  com- 
plete protection  for  the  inner  anchorage.  It  will  be 
only  possible  to  make  any  real  improvement  of  the 
harbor  by  adopting  a  thorough  system  of  dredging 
and  deepening.  There  was  evidence  of  such  a  purpose 
being  already  in  progress  on  our  second  visit,  two 
large  steam  dredging  machines  being  anchored  at  the 
southerly  end  of  the  harbor. 

The  people  of  this  hot  region  know  the  great  value 
of  shade  trees,  consequently  they  abound,  half  hiding 
from  view  the  numerous  handsome  villas  which  form 
the  attractive  suburbs  of  tho  city.  Everywhere  one 
sees  tall  cocoanut   palms,  clusters  of  feathery  bam- 


132  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

boos,  widespread  mangoes,  prolific  bananas,  guavas, 
and  plantains  growing  among  other  graceful  tropical 
trees,  rich  in  the  green  texture  of  their  foliage,  and 
thrice  rich  in  their  luscious  and  abundant  fruits. 
Among  the  vine  products  we  must  not  forget  to  men- 
tion a  rich,  high  flavored  grape,  which  is  native  here, 
and  which  all  people  praise  after  once  tasting.  The 
water,  which  is  brought  into  the  city  by  a  system  of 
double  iron  pipes,  comes  from  a  neighboring  lake,  and 
is  a  pure  and  wholesome  drink,  a  most  incomparable 
blessing  in  equatorial  regions,  which  no  person  who 
has  not  suffered  for  the  want  of  it  can  duly  appreciate. 
The  International  Hotel  is  the  favorite  resort  of 
strangers,  and  is  situated  a  couple  of  miles  from  the 
harbor.  It  is  surrounded  by  beautiful  trees  and  flow- 
ers, the  golden  oranges  weighing  down  the  branches 
nearly  to  the  ground  by  their  size  and  abundance, 
while  the  young  blossoms  fill  the  air  with  their  deli- 
cate perfume,  —  fruit  and  blossoms  on  the  tree  at  the 
same  time.  The  garden  is  thronged  by  household 
pets,  and  contains  a  spacious  aviary.  The  monkey 
tribe  is  fully  represented ;  gaudy  winged  parrots  daz- 
zle the  eye  with  impossible  colors.  One  partakes  here, 
in  the  open  air,  of  the  refreshing  viands  amid  the 
songs  of  birds,  the  occasional  scream  of  the  cockatoo, 
the  cooing  of  turtle-doves,  and  the  fragrance  of  a  pro- 
fusion of  tropical  flowers.  The  native  servants  are 
well-trained,  and  there  is  a  French  chef.  We  were 
told  that  this  attractive  place  had  once  belonged  to  a 
very  wealthy  Brazilian,  a  planter,  who  had  come  to 


A   PERNAMBUCO  HOTEL.  133 

grief  financially,  and  as  the  house  was  offered  for  sale, 
it  had  been  purchased  for  one  fifth  of  its  original  cost 
and  adapted  to  hotel  purposes.  While  enjoying  our 
fruit  at  dessert,  a  somewhat  similar  experience  was 
recalled  as  having  taken  place  at  Christiania,  in  Nor- 
way, where  visitors  enjoy  the  meals  in  a  sort  of  out- 
door museum  and  garden,  surrounded  by  curious  pre- 
served birds  mingled  with  living  ones,  the  latter  so 
tame  as  to  alight  fearlessly  upon  the  table  and  await 
any  choice  bit  guests  may  offer  them. 

We  shall  not  soon  forget  the  very  appetizing  dinner 
of  which  we  partook,  amid  such  attractive  surround- 
ings, in  the  gardens  of  the  International  Hotel  at  Per- 
nambuco.  One  fruit  which  was  served  to  us  is  kno^vn 
by  the  name  of  the  loquat.  It  is  round,  dark  yellow, 
and  about  the  size  of  a  Tangerine  orange,  —  a  great 
favorite  with  the  natives,  though  it  is  mostly  stone  and 
skin,  and  tastes  like  turpentine. 

This  city  is  often  called  the  Venice  of  Brazil,  but 
why,  it  is  difficult  for  one  to  understand.  It  is  only 
poetical  license,  for  there  is  not  the  first  actual  resem- 
blance between  the  two  cities.  True,  there  are  several 
watercourses,  and  half  a  dozen  bridges,  intersecting 
this  Brazilian  capital.  One  woidd  be  equally  justified 
in  calling  the  frail  catamarans  which  are  used  by  the 
fishermen  in  these  waters,  gondolas.  This  singular 
craft,  by  the  way,  consists  of  four  or  five  logs  of 
the  cork-palm  tree,  confined  together  by  a  series  of 
strong  lashings,  no  nails  being  used,  thus  securing  a 
necessary  degree  of  elasticity.     One  end  of  the  logs 


134  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

is  hewn  down  to  a  smaller  size  or  width  than  the 
other,  thus  forming  stem  and  stern,  while  a  single 
thick  plank  serves  as  a  keel.  There  are  no  bulwarks 
to  this  crazy  craft,  —  for  it  can  hardly  be  called  any- 
thing else,  —  the  whole  being  freely  washed  by  the 
sea;  but  yet,  with  a  rude  mast  carrying  a  triangular 
sail,  and  with  a  couple  of  oars,  two  or  three  fisher- 
men venture  far  away  from  the  shore  ;  indeed,  we 
encountered  them  out  of  sight  of  land.  A  couple 
of  upright  stakes  are  driven  into  the  logs,  to  hold  on 
by  when  occasion  requires.  It  is  really  wonderful 
to  see  how  weatherly  such  a  frail  affair  can  be,  and 
how  literally  safe  in  a  rough  seaway.  The  boatmen 
who  navigate  these  catamarans  (they  are  called  here 
janguardas)  manage  to  keep  the  market  of  Pernam- 
buco  abundantly  supplied  with  the  strange,  fantastic 
fish  which  so  prevail  along  the  Atlantic  coast  in  equa- 
torial regions. 

We  have  seen  a  craft  very  similar  to  these  cata- 
marans in  use  off  the  Coromandel  coast,  between  Ma- 
dras and  the  mouth  of  the  Hoogly  River,  which  leads 
up  to  Calcutta.  Here  the  natives  manage  them  in  a 
sea  so  rough  that  an  ordinary  ship's  boat,  if  exposed, 
would  surely  be  swamped.  The  Madras  catamaran 
consists  of  three  pieces  of  timber,  mere  logs  twelve  or 
fourteen  feet  long,  securely  bound  together  with  ropes 
made  from  the  fibre  of  the  cocoanut  palm.  Nails 
are  no  more  available  here  than  in  the  former  crafts 
we  have  named.  No  nails  coidd  withstand  the  wrench- 
ing which  this  raft  is  subjected  to.     The  middle  log 


CATAMARANS.  135 

is  a  little  longer  than  the  two  outside  ones,  and  is 
given  a  slight  upward  turn  at  the  end  which  forms 
the  prow.  No  sail  is  used,  but  two  fishermen  gener- 
ally go  out  with  each  of  these  rafts,  propelling  them 
with  broad-bladed  paddles,  used  alternately  on  either 
side.  Of  course  the  natives  who  navigate  these  crafts 
are  naked,  with  the  exception  of  a  breech-cloth  at  the 
loins.  They  are  very  frequently  thrown  off  by  the  sea, 
but  regain  their  places  with  remarkable  agility.  They 
manage  also,  somehow,  to  secure  their  fishing  gear, 
and  generally  to  bring  in  a  remunerative  fare  from 
their  excursions.  Strange  as  the  catamaran  is,  it 
must  yet  be  described  as  breezy,  watery,  and  safe  — 
for  amphibious  creatures.  There  is  one  enemy  these 
fishermen  have  to  look  out  for,  namely  the  shark,  both 
on  the  coast  of  Madras  and  South  America.  It  is 
more  common  to  say  when  one  is  lost  that  the  sharks 
got  him,  than  it  is  to  say  he  was  drowned. 

The  reef  so  often  referred  to,  forming  the  break- 
water opposite  Pernambuco,  is  about  forty  feet  in  width 
at  the  surface,  and  is  the  marvelous  architecture  of 
that  tiny  coral  builder  which  works  beneath  these 
southern  seas.  When  it  has  reared  a  pyramid  reach- 
ing from  the  far  bottom  of  the  ocean  to  the  surface, 
its  mission  is  performed  and  it  dies.  It  lives  and 
works  only  beneath  the  surface  of  the  sea ;  atmospheric 
air  is  fatal  to  it.  The  pyramids  of  Egypt  cannot  com- 
pare with  these  submerged  structures  for  height,  solid- 
ity, or  magnitude.  One  is  the  product  of  a  creature 
of  such  seeming  unimportance  as  to  require  micro- 


136  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

scopic  aid  to  detect  its  existence ;  the  other  are  monu- 
ments erected  by  ancient  kings  commanding  infinite 
resources ;  the  former  being  the  process  of  nature  in 
carrying  out  her  great  and  mysterious  plan ;  the  lat- 
ter, the  ambitious  work  of  men  whose  very  identity  is 
now  questionable.  If  we  were  to  enter  into  a  calcu- 
lation based  upon  known  scientific  facts,  as  to  how 
many  thousands  of  years  were  required  for  this  mi- 
nute animal  to  rear  this  massive  structure,  the  result 
would  astonish  the  average  reader. 

On  approaching  Pernambuco  from  the  sea,  the  first 
object  to  attract  the  eye  is  the  long  line  of  snow  white 
breakers,  caused  by  the  incessant  swell  of  the  sea 
striking  against  the  firmly  planted  reef  with  a  deafen- 
ing surge,  breaking  into  foam  and  spray  which  are 
thrown  forty  feet  and  more  into  the  air.  As  we 
drew  near  for  the  first  time,  the  extended  line  of 
breakers  was  illumined  by  the  early  morning  sun, 
making  fancy  rainbows  and  misty  pictures  in  the 
mingled  air  and  water.  We  were  escorted  by  myri- 
ads of  sea  birds,  whose  sharp  cries  came  close  upon 
the  ear,  as  they  flew  in  and  about  the  rigging.  Be- 
hind the  reef  lay  the  comparatively  smooth  waters  of 
the  harbor,  dotted  here  and  there  by  tiny  white  sails, 
curious  shaped  coasting  craft,  rowboats,  and  steam 
tugs,  while  the  background  was  formed  by  a  leafless 
forest  of  tall  ships'  masts  which  lined  the  wharves, 
and  partially  screened  the  low-lying  capital  from 
view. 

We  have  remained  quite  long  enough  at  this  city 


COAST  OF  BRAZIL.  137 

of  the  reef,  and  now  turn  southward  towards  the  more 
attractive  port  of  Bahia. 

In  running  down  the  coast,  the  Brazilian  shore  is 
so  near  as  to  be  distinctly  visible,  with  its  surf- 
fringed  beach  of  golden  sands  extending  mile  after 
mile,  beyond  which,  far  inland,  rise  ranges  of  forest- 
clad  hills,  and  beyond  these,  sky-reaching  alps.  It 
is  often  necessary  to  give  the  land  a  wide  berth,  as  at 
certain  points  dangerous  sandbars  make  out  from  it 
far  to  seaward  ;  but  whenever  near  enough  to  the 
coast  to  make  out  the  character  of  the  vegetation, 
it  was  of  deepest  green  and  exuberantly  tropical. 
With  the  exception  of  one  or  two  small  towns,  and  an 
occasional  fisherman's  hamlet,  the  shore  presented  no 
signs  of  habitation,  being  mostly  a  sandy  waste  ad- 
joining the  sea,  where  heavy  rollers  spent  their  force 
upon  the  smooth,  water-worn,  yellow  beach. 


i 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Port  of  Bahia.  —  A  Quaint  Old  City.  —  Former  Capital  of  Brazil.  -» 
Whaling  Interests.  —  Beautiful  Panorama.  —  Tramways.  —  No  Color 
Line  Here.  —  The  Sedan  Chair.  —  Feather  Flowers.  —  Great  Orange 
Mart.  —  Passion  Flower  Fruit.  —  Coffee,  Sugar,  and  Tobacco.  —  A 
Coffee  Plantation.  —  Something  about  Diamonds.  —  Health  of  the 
City.  —  Curious  Tropical  Street  Scenes. 

Bahia,  —  pronoimced  Bah-ee'ah,  —  situated  three 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  south  of  Pernambuco,  is  the 
capital  of  a  province  of  the  same  name  in  Brazil,  and 
contains  nearly  two  hundred  thousand  inhabitants.  It 
is  admirably  situated  on  elevated  ground  at  the  en- 
trance of  All  Saints  Bay,  —  Todos  os  Santos^  —  just 
within  Cape  San  Antonio,  eight  hundred  miles  or 
thereabouts  north  of  Rio  Janeiro.  The  entrance  of 
the  bay  is  seven  miles  broad.  For  its  size,  there  are 
few  harbors  in  the  world  which  present  a  more  attrac- 
tive picture  as  one  first  beholds  it  on  entering  from 
the  open  Atlantic.  The  elevated  site  of  the  city,  with 
its  close  array  of  neat,  white  three  and  four  story 
houses,  breaks  the  sky  line  in  front  of  the  anchorage, 
while  the  town  forms  a  half  moon  in  shape,  extending 
for  a  couple  of  miles  each  way,  right  and  left.  Near 
the  water's  edge,  on  the  lower  line  of  the  city,  are 
many  substantial  warehouses,  official  establishments, 
the  custom  house,  and  the  like.    Between  the  lower  and 


YELLOW  FEVER.  139 

the  upper  town  is  a  long  reach  of  green  terraced  em- 
bankment, intense  in  its  bright  verdure.  Probably 
no  other  city  on  the  globe,  certainly  not  so  far  as  our 
experience  extends,  is  so  peculiarly  divided. 

A  sad  episode  marked  our  first  experience  here.  We 
came  to  anchor  in  the  harbor,  according  to  custom,  at 
what  is  known  as  the  Quarantine.  About  a  cable's 
length  from  us  lay  a  large  European  steamship,  flying 
the  yellow  flag  at  the  fore.  She  came  into  port  from 
Rio  Janeiro  on  the  previous  evening  ;  five  of  her  pas- 
sengers who  had  died  of  yellow  fever  on  the  passage 
were  buried  at  sea,  while  two  more  were  down  with  it, 
and  were  being  taken  to  the  lazaretto  on  shore,  as 
we  dropped  our  anchor.  Probably  they  went  there 
to  die.  This  was  naturally  depressing,  more  so,  per- 
haps, as  we  were  bound  direct  for  Rio  Janeiro ;  but 
as  we  now  came  from  a  northern  port  with  a  clean  bill 
of  health,  we  were  finally  released  from  quarantine 
and  permitted  to  land.  It  is  late  in  the  season  — 
last  of  May  —  for  this  pest  of  the  coast  to  prevail, 
but  the  year  1891  has  been  one  of  unusual  fatality 
in  the  South  American  ports,  and  none  of  them  have 
been  entirely  exempt  from  the  scourge,  some  showing 
a  fearful  list  of  mortality  among  both  citizens  and 
strangers.  We  were  conversant  with  many  instances 
of  a  particularly  trying  and  sad  nature,  if  any  distinc- 
tion can  be  made  where  death  intervenes  with  such  a 
rude  hand.  Victims  who  were  in  apparent  good  health 
in  the  morning  were  not  infrequently  buried  on  the 
evening  of  the  same  day !  But  we  will  spare  the 
reader  harrowing  details. 


140  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

Americus  Vespucius  discovered  Bahia  in  1503, 
while  sailing  under  the  patronage  of  Portugal,  and 
as  it  was  settled  in  1511,  it  is  the  oldest  city  in  the 
country,  being  also  the  second  in  size,  though  not  in 
commercial  importance.  The  excellent  harbor  is  so 
spacious  as  to  form  a  small  inland  sea,  the  far  reach- 
ing shores  of  which  are  beautified  by  mingled  green 
foliage  and  pretty  villas  stretching  along  the  bay, 
while  the  business  portion  gives  evidence  of  a  grow- 
ing and  important  foreign  trade.  This  deduction  is 
also  corroborated  by  the  presence  of  numerous  Euro- 
pean steamships,  and  full-rigged  sailing  vessels  de- 
voted to  the  transportation  of  merchandise.  The 
buildings  are  generally  of  a  substantial  appearance, 
whether  designed  as  residences  or  for  business  pur- 
poses, but  are  mostly  of  an  antique  pattern,  old  and 
dingy.  Though  the  city  is  divided  into  the  lower 
and  the  upper  town,  the  latter  two  or  three  hundred 
fe^  above  the  former,  it  is  made  easily  accessible  by 
mechanical  means.  A  large  elevator,  run  by  hydraulic 
power,  is  employed  for  the  purpose,  which  was  built 
by  an  energetic  Yankee,  and  has  been  in  successful 
operation  several  years,  taking  the  citizens  from  the 
lower  to  the  upper  town,  as  we  pass  from  basement  to 
attic  in  our  tall  North  American  buildings.  Between 
the  two  portions  of  Bahia  there  are  streets  for  the 
transportation  of  merchandise,  which  wind  zigzag 
fashion  along  the  ravine  to  avoid  the  abruptness  of  the 
ascent.  Besides  these  means,  there  are  narrow  stone 
steps  leading  upwards  to  the  first  level,  among  the 


VIEW  OF  BAHIA.  141 

tropical  verdure,  the  deep  green  branches  and  leaves 
nodding  to  one  from  out  of  narrow  lanes  and  quiet 
nooks.  There  is  still  another  way  of  reaching  the 
upper  town,  namely,  a  cable  road,  of  very  steep  grade, 
one  car  ascending  while  another  descends,  thus  forming 
a  sort  of  counterbalance.  By  all  these  facilities  united, 
the  population  manage  very  comfortably  to  overcome 
the  topographical  difficulties  of  the  situation. 

Though  there  are  few  buildings  of  any  special  note 
in  Bahia,  the  general  architecture  being  quaint  and 
nondescript,  still  the  combined  view  of  the  city,  as 
we  have  endeavored  to  show,  is  of  no  inconsiderable 
beauty.  We  approached  it  from  the  north,  doubling 
Light  House  Point  in  the  early  morning,  just  as  the 
rising  sun  lighted  up  the  bay.  Seen  from  the  harbor, 
the  large  dome  of  the  cathedral  overlooks  the  whole 
town  very  much  like  the  gilded  dome  which  forms  so 
conspicuous  an  object  on  approaching  the  city  of  Bos- 
ton. The  dark,  low-lying,  grim-looking  fort,  which 
presides  over  the  quarantine  anchorage,  is  built  upon 
a  natural  ledge  of  rock,  half  a  mile  from  the  shore 
of  the  town,  and  looks  like  a  huge  cheese-box. 

In  the  upper  portion  of  Bahia  the  streets  are  nar- 
row, and  the  houses  so  tall  as  to  nearly  exclude  the 
sun  when  it  is  not  in  the  zenith.  They  are  built  of  a 
native  stone,  and  differ  from  the  majority  of  South 
American  dwellings,  which  are  rarely  over  two  stories 
in  height,  and  generally  of  one  only.  We  have  heard 
it  argued  that  it  is  advantageous  to  build  tropical 
cities  with  narrow  streets,  so  as  to  exclude  the  heat  of 


142  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

the  sun's  rays  and  thus  keep  the  houses  cooler.  This 
is  not  logical.  Wide  avenues  and  broad  streets  give 
ventilation  which  cannot  be  obtained  in  any  other  way 
in  populous  centres.  Narrow  lanes  invite  epidemics, 
fevers,  and  malarial  diseases  ;  broad  thoroughfares  give 
less  opportunity  for  their  lodgment.  A  beehive  of 
human  beings,  crowded  together  in  a  narrow  space, 
exhausts  the  life-giving  principle  of  the  surrounding 
atmosphere,  but  this  is  impossible  where  plenty  of 
room  is  given  for  the  circulation  of  fresh  air. 

These  tall  houses  of  Bahia  have  overhanging  orna- 
mental balconies,  which  towards  evening  are  filled 
with  the  female  portion  of  the  families,  laughing,  chat- 
ting, singing,  and  smoking,  for  the  ladies  of  these  lati- 
tudes smoke  in  their  domestic  circles.  Narrow  as  the 
streets  of  Bahia  are,  room  is  found  for  a  well  patron- 
ized tramway  to  run  through  them.  No  one  thinks  of 
walking,  if  it  be  for  only  a  couple  of  hundred  rods,  on 
the  line  of  the  street  cars.  All  of  the  civilized  world 
seems  to  have  grown  lazy  since  the  introduction  of  this 
modern  facility  for  cheap  transportation. 

Bahia  was  the  capital  of  Brazil  until  1763,  during 
which  year  the  headquarters  of  the  government  were 
removed  to  Rio  Janeiro. 

This  is  a  sort  of  New  Bedford,  so  to  speak,  having 
been  for  more  than  a  century  extensively  engaged  in  the 
whaling  business,  an  occupation  which  is  still  pursued 
to  a  limited  extent.  Whales  frequent  the  bay  of  Bahia, 
where  they  are  sometimes  captured  by  small  boats 
from  the  shore.     It  is  supposed  that  the  favorite  food 


PURSUIT   OF  WHALES.  143 

of  this  big  game  is  found  in  these  waters.  There  was 
a  time  when  the  close  pursuit  by  fishing  fleets  fitted 
out  in  nearly  all  parts  of  the  world  rendered  the  whales 
wary  and  scarce.  The  catching  and  killing  of  so 
many  seemed  to  have  thinned  out  their  number  in 
most  of  the  seas  of  the  globe.  Then  came  the  great 
discovery  of  rock  oil,  which  rapidly  superseded  the 
whale  oil  of  commerce  in  general  use.  Thereupon  the 
pursuit  of  the  gigantic  animal  ceased  to  be  of  any 
great  moment,  while  there  was  oil  enough  spontaneously 
pouring  out  of  the  wells  of  Pennsylvania,  and  else- 
where, to  fully  satisfy  the  demand  of  the  world  at  large. 
Being  no  longer  hunted,  the  whales  gradually  became 
tame  and  increased  in  numbers,  so  that  to-day  there 
are  probably  as  many  in  the  usual  haunts  of  these 
leviathans  in  either  hemisphere  as  there  ever  were. 
The  briefest  sea  voyage  can  hardly  be  made  without 
sighting  one  or  more  of  them,  and  sometimes  in  large 
schools. 

There  is  a  portion  of  the  elevated  section  of  Bahia 
which  is  called  Victoria,  a  really  beautiful  locality, 
having  delightful  gardens,  attractive  walks,  and  myri- 
ads of  noble  shade  trees.  From  here  the  visitor  over- 
looks the  bay,  with  its  islands  and  curving  shore  decked 
with  graceful  palms,  bamboos,  and  mango  groves ;  upon 
the  water  are  nmnerous  tiny  boats,  while  white  winged 
sailing  ships  and  dark,  begrimed  steamers  unite  in 
forming  a  picture  of  active  life  and  maritime  beauty. 
In  the  distance  lies  the  ever  green  island  of  Itaparica, 
named  after  the  first  governor's  Indian  bride,  while 


144  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

still  farther  away  is  seen  range  after  range  of  tall, 
purple  hills,  multiplied  until  lost  in  the  distance. 

A  few  grim  looking  convents  and  monasteries,  which 
have  gradually  come  into  the  possession  of  the  govern- 
ment, are  now  used  as  free  schools,  libraries,  and  hos- 
pitals. There  is  a  medical  college  here  which  has  a 
national  reputation  for  general  excellence,  and  many 
students  come  from  Rio  Janeiro,  eight  hundred  miles 
away,  to  avail  themselves  of  its  advantages,  receiving 
a  diploma  after  attending  upon  its  three  years'  course 
of  studies.  From  subsequent  inquiry,  however,  not 
only  here  but  in  Rio  and  elsewhere,  we  are  satisfied 
that  the  science  of  medicine  and  surgery  stands  at  a 
very  low  ebb  throughout  this  great  southland.  For- 
eign doctors  are  looked  upon  with  great  distrust  and 
jealousy  ;  indeed,  it  is  very  difficidt  for  them  to  obtain 
a  suitable  license  to  practice  in  Brazil.  This  does  not 
apply  to  dentistry,  of  which  profession  there  are  many 
American  experts  in  the  country,  who  have  realized 
decided  pecuniary  and  professional  success.  There 
were  six  or  eight  on  board  the  Vigilancia,  who  had 
been  on  a  visit  to  their  North  American  homes  during 
the  summer  season,  at  which  time  the  fever  is  most  to 
be  dreaded  here. 

The  city  contains  over  sixty  churches,  some  of  which 
are  fine  edifices,  built  of  stone  brought  from  Europe. 
This  could  easily  be  done  without  much  extra  ex- 
pense, as  the  vessels  visiting  the  port  in  those  early 
days  required  ballast  with  which  to  cross  the  ocean. 
They  brought  no  other  cargo  of  any  account,  but  were 


THE   CATHEDRAL.  145 

sure  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year  to  obtain  a  suit- 
able return  freight,  which  paid  a  good  profit  on  the 
round  voyage.  Several  of  these  churches  are  in  a 
very  dilapidated  condition,  and  probably  will  not  be 
repaired.  The  cathedral  is  one  of  the  largest  struc- 
tures of  the  sort  in  Brazil,  and  is  thought  by  many  to 
be  one  of  the  finest.  The  cathedral  at  Rio,  however, 
is  a  much  more  elaborate  structure,  and  far  more 
costly.  It  takes  enormous  sums,  wrung  from  the 
poorest  class  of  people,  to  maintain  these  gorgeous -tem- 
ples and  support  the  horde  of  fat,  licentious,  useless 
priests  attached  to  them,  while  the  mass  of  humanity 
find  life  a  daily  struggle  with  abject  want  and  pov- 
erty. Does  any  thoughtful  person  believe  for  one 
moment  that  such  hollow  service  can  be  grateful  to  a 
just  and  merciful  Supreme  Being? 

Bahia  was  a  flourishing  port  before  Rio  Janeiro  was 
known  commercially,  and  was  the  first  place  of  settle- 
ment by  English  traders  on  this  coast.  The  present 
population  is  of  a  very  mixed  character,  composed  of 
nearly  all  nationalities,  white  and  black,  European  and 
natives.  There  is  no  prejudice  evinced  as  regards 
color.  Mulatto  or  negro  may  once  have  been  a  slave, 
but  he  is  a  freeman  now,  both  socially  and  in  the  eyes 
of  the  law.  He  is  eligible  for  any  position  of  trust, 
public  or  private,  if  he  develops  the  requisite  degree 
of  intelligence.  Men  who  have  been  slaves  in  their 
youth  are  now  filling  political  offices  here,  with  credit 
to  themselves  and  satisfaction  to  the  public.  The 
actual  reform  from  being  a  degraded  land  of  slavery 


146  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

to  one  of  human  freedom  is  much  more  radical  and 
thorough  in  Brazil  than  it  is  in  our  own  Southern 
States,  where  the  pretended  equality  of  the  colored 
race  is  simply  a  burlesque  upon  constitutional  liberty. 

The  occasional  use  of  that  quaint  mode  of  convey- 
ance, the  sedan  chair,  was  observable,  taking  one  back 
to  the  days  of  Queen  Anne.  Only  a  few  years  ago  it 
was  the  one  mode  of  transportation  from  the  lower  to 
the  upper  part  of  the  town  ;  but  modern  facilities,  al- 
ready referred  to,  have  thrown  the  sedan  chair  nearly 
out  of  use.  A  few  antique  representatives  of  this 
style  of  vehicle,  some  quite  expensive  and  elaborately 
ornamented,  are  still  seen  obstructing  the  entrances 
to  the  houses.  The  local  name  they  bear  is  cadeira. 
When  these  chairs  are  used,  they  are  borne  upon  the 
shoulders  of  two  or  four  stalwart  blacks,  and  are  himg 
upon  long  poles,  like  a  palanquin,  after  the  fashion  so 
often  seen  in  old  pictures  and  ancient  tapestry. 

We  have  spoken  of  the  narrowness  of  the  streets 
through  which  the  tramways  pass.  In  many  places, 
pedestrians  are  compelled  to  step  into  the  doorways  of 
dwellings  to  permit  the  cars  to  pass  them.  This  is 
not  only  the  case  at  Bahia,  but  also  in  half  the  busy 
portion  of  South  American  cities.  These  mule  pro- 
pelled cars  are  now  adopted  all  over  this  country  and 
Mexico ;  even  fourth  class  cities  have  tramways,  and 
many  towns  which  have  not  yet  risen  to  the  dignity 
of  having  a  city  organization  are  thus  supplied  with 
transportation.  The  Bahia  tramway,  on  its  route  to 
the  suburbs,  passes  through  fertile  districts  of  great 


FEATHER  FLOWERS.  147 

rural  beauty,  among  groves  of  tropical  fruits,  orange 
orchards,  tall  overshadowing  mangoes,  and  cultivated 
flowers.  There  is  an  attempt  at  a  public  garden, 
though  it  is  an  idea  only  half  carried  out ;  but  there 
is  a  terrace  in  connection  here  called  "  The  Bluff," 
from  whence  one  gets  a  magnificent  view,  more  espe- 
cially of  the  near  and  the  distant  sea.  These  delight- 
ful and  comprehensive  natural  pictures  are  photo- 
graphed upon  the  memory,  forming  a  charming  cabinet 
of  scenic  views  appertaining  to  each  special  locality, 
choice,  original,  and  never  to  be  effaced. 

We  must  not  omit  to  mention  a  specialty  of  this 
city,  an  article  produced  in  one  or  two  of  the  charita- 
ble institutions,  as  well  as  in  many  humble  family  cir- 
cles, namely,  artificial  flowers  made  from  the  choicest 
feathers  of  the  most  brilliant  colored  birds.  None  of 
these  articles  are  poor,  while  some  of  them  are  exqui- 
site in  design  and  execution,  produced  entirely  from 
the  plumage  of  native  birds.  A  considerable  aggre- 
gate sum  of  money  is  realized  by  a  certain  portion 
of  the  community,  in  the  regular  manufacture  of 
these  delicate  ornaments.  Girls  begin  to  learn  the 
art  at  a  very  early  age,  and  in  a  few  years  arrive  at  a 
marvelous  degree  of  perfection,  producing  realistic 
pictures  which  rival  the  brush  and  pencil  of  a  more 
pretentious  department  of  art.  Nearly  all  visitors 
carry  away  with  them  dainty  examples  of  this  exqui- 
site and  artistic  work,  which  has  a  reputation  beyond 
the  seas.  Thousands  of  beautiful  birds  are  annually 
sacrificed   to   furnish  the  necessary   material.     Thus 


148  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

the  delicate  family  of  the  hurjiming-bird,  whose  variety- 
is  infinite  in  Brazil,  has  been  almost  exterminated  in 
some  parts  of  the  country.  There  is  one  other  spe- 
cialty here,  namely,  the  manufacture  of  lace,  which 
gives  constant  employment  to  many  women  of  Bahia, 
their  product  being  much  esteemed  all  over  South 
America  for  the  beauty  of  the  designs  and  the  perfec- 
tion of  the  manufacture. 

The  special  fruit  of  this  province,  as  already  in- 
timated, is  oranges,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  none 
produced  elsewhere  can  excel  them.  They  are  not 
picked  until  they  are  thoroughly  ripe,  and  are  there- 
fore too  delicate,  in  their  prime  condition,  to  sustain 
transportation  to  any  considerable  distance.  Those 
sold  in  our  northern  cities  are  picked  in  a  green  con- 
dition and  ripened  off  the  trees,  a  process  which  does 
not  injure  some  fruits,  but  which  detracts  very  ma- 
terially from  the  orange  and  the  pineapple.  The 
oranges  of  Bahia  average  from  five  to  six  inches  in 
diameter,  have  a  rather  thin  skin,  are  full  of  juice,  and 
contain  no  pips  ;  in  short,  they  are  perfectly  delicious, 
being  delicately  sweet,  with  a  slight  subacid  flavor. 
The  first  enjoyment  of  this  special  fruit  in  Bahia  is  a 
gastronomic  revelation.  The  maracajus  is  also  a  fa- 
vorite fruit  here,  but  hardly  to  be  named  beside  the 
orange.  It  is  the  product  of  the  vine  which  bears  the 
passion  flower,  but  this  we  could  not  relish.  It  is  a 
common  fruit  in  Australia  and  New  Zealand,  where 
the  author  found  it  equally  unpalatable,  yet  people 
who  have  once  acquired  the  taste  become  very  fond 


LOCAL  PRODUCTS.  149 

of  it.  The  vine  with  its  flower  is  common  enough  in 
the  United  States,  but  we  have  never  seen  it  in  a 
fruit-bearing  condition  in  our  country. 

The  province  of  Bahia  has  an  area  of  two  hundred 
thousand  square  miles,  and  is  represented  as  contain- 
ing some  of  the  most  fertile  land  in  Brazil,  capable  of 
producing  immense  crops  of  several  important  staples. 
It  is  especially  fertile  near  the  coast,  where  there  are 
some  large  and  thriving  tobacco,  sugar,  and  coffee 
plantations.  The  first  mentioned  article,  owing  to 
some  favorable  peculiarity  of  the  soil  in  this  vicinity, 
is  held  to  be  nearly  equal  to  the  average  Cuban  pro- 
duct, and  it  is  being  more  and  more  extensively  culti- 
vated each  year.  Bahia  cigars  are  not  only  very 
cheap,  but  they  are  remarkably  fine  in  flavor.  It  was 
observed  that  old  travelers  on  this  coast  made  haste 
to  lay  in  a  goodly  supply  of  them  for  personal  use. 

A  coffee  plantation  situated  not  far  from  this  city 
was  visited,  affording  a  small  party  of  strangers  to 
the  place  much  pleasure  and  information.  The  coffee 
plant  is  an  evergreen,  and  thus  the  foliage  is  always 
fresh  in  appearance,  yielding  two  harvests  annually. 
Boa  Vista,  the  plantation  referred  to,  covers  about 
one  hundred  acres,  much  of  which  is  also  devoted 
to  the  raising  of  fodder,  fruit,  corn,  and  beans,  with 
some  special  vegetables,  forming  the  principal  suste- 
nance of  the  people  and  animals  employed  upon  the 
estate.  At  first,  in  laying  out  such  a  plantation,  the 
coffee  sprouts  are  started  in  a  nursery,  and  when  they 
have  had  a  year's  growth  are  transplanted  to  the  open 


160  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

field,  where  they  are  placed  with  strict  uniformity  in 
long  rows  at  equal  distances  apart.  After  the  second 
year  these  young  plants  begin  to  bear,  and  continue  to 
do  so  for  twenty-five  or  thirty  years,  at  which  period 
both  the  trees  and  the  soil  become  in  a  measure  ex- 
hausted, and  a  new  tract  of  land  is  again  selected  for 
a  plantation.  By  proper  management  the  new  planta- 
tion can  be  made  to  begin  bearing  at  the  same  time 
that  the  old  one  ceases  to  be  sufficiently  productive  and 
remunerative  to  cultivate  for  the  same  purpose.  The 
coffee-tree  is  thought  to  be  in  its  prime  at  from  five  to 
ten  years  of  age.  Fruit  trees,  such  as  bananas,  oranges, 
mandioca,  guavas,  and  so  on,  are  planted  among  the  cof- 
fee-trees to  afford  them  a  partial  shelter,  which,  to  a  cer- 
tain degree,  is  requisite  to  their  best  success,  especially 
when  they  are  young  and  throwing  out  thin  roots. 
The  coffee  bushes  are  kept  trimmed  down  to  about 
the  height  of  one's  head,  which  facilitates  the  harvest- 
ing of  the  crop,  and  also  throws  the  sap  into  the 
formation  and  growth  of  berries.  The  coffee-tree, 
when  permitted  to  grow  to  its  natural  height,  reaches 
between  twenty  and  thirty  feet,  and,  with  its  deep-green 
foliage,  is  a  handsome  ornamental  garden  tree,  much 
used  for  this  purpose  in  Brazil.  The  coffee  pods, 
when  ripe,  are  scarlet  in  color,  and  resemble  cherries, 
though  they  are  much  smaller.  Each  berry  contains 
two  seeds,  which,  when  detached  from  the  pod  and 
properly  dried,  form  the  familiar  article  of  such  uni- 
versal domestic  use.  A  coffee  plantation  well  man- 
aged, in  Brazil,  is  an  almost  certain  source  of  ample 


BRAZILIAN  DIAMONDS.  151 

fortune.  The  crop  is  sure;  that  is  to  say,  it  has 
scarcely  any  drawbacks,  and  is  always  in  demand.  Of 
course  there  are  inconveniences  of  climate,  and  other 
things  needless  to  enumerate,  as  regards  entering  into 
the  business,  but  the  growth  and  ripening  of  a  cojffee 
crop  very  seldom  fail. 

As  has  been  intimated,  this  port  is  famous  for  the 
production  of  oranges  and  tobacco  ;  so  Rio  is  famous 
for  coffee,  Pernambuco  for  sugar,  and  Para  for  crude 
india-rubber. 

We  must  not  forget  to  mention  one  other,  and 
by  no  means  insignificant  product  of  Brazil  which  is 
exported  from  Bahia,  namely,  diamonds  of  the  very 
first  quality,  which  for  purity  of  color  far  exceed  those 
of  Africa  and  elsewhere.  It  appears  that  a  syndi- 
cate in  London  control  the  world's  supply  of  this 
peculiar  gem  from  all  the  mines  on  the  globe,  per- 
mitting only  a  certain  quantity  of  diamonds  to  go  on  to 
the  market  annually,  and  thus  keeping  up  the  selling 
price  and  the  market  value.  No  one  is  permitted  to 
know  the  real  product  of  the  mines  but  the  managers 
of  this  syndicate.  The  quantity  of  the  sparkling 
gems  which  are  held  back  by  the  dealers  in  London, 
Paris,  and  Vienna  is  really  enormous ;  were  they  to  be 
placed  in  the  retail  dealers'  hands  as  fast  as  they  are 
produced  from  the  various  sources  of  supply,  they 
would  be  erelong  as  cheap  and  plenty  as  moonstones. 
This  soimds  like  an  extravagant  assertion,  but  still 
there  is  far  more  truth  in  it  than  is  generally  realized. 
One  of  the  public  journals  of  London  lately  spoke  of 


152  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

a  proposed  corporation,  to  be  known  as  the  "  Diamond 
Trust,"  which  is  certainly  a  significant  evidence  that 
the  market  requires  to  be  carefully  controlled  as  to 
the  quantity  which  is  annually  put  upon  it.  In  old 
times  a  diamond  was  simply  valued  as  a  diamond ;  its 
cutting  and  polishing  were  of  the  simplest  character. 
A  series  of  irregular  plane  surfaces  were  thought  to 
sufficiently  bring  out  its  reflective  qualities,  but  the 
stone  is  now  treated  with  far  more  care  and  intelli- 
gence. A  large  portion  of  the  value  of  a  diamond 
has  come  to  consist  in  the  artistic,  and  we  may  say 
scientific,  manner  in  which  it  is  cut.  By  this  means 
its  latent  qualities  of  reflection  of  light  are  brought 
to  perfection,  developing  its  real  brilliancy.  Accom- 
plished workmen  realize  fabulous  wages  in  this  em- 
ployment. A  stone  of  comparatively  little  value,  by 
being  cut  in  the  best  manner,  can  be  made  to  outshine 
a  much  finer  stone  which  is  cut  after  the  old  style. 
Amsterdam  used  to  control  the  business  of  diamond 
cutting,  but  it  is  now  as  well  done  in  Boston  and 
New  York  as  in  any  part  of  the  world. 

The  largest  diamond  yet  discovered  came  from  Bra- 
zil, and  is  known  as  the  Braganza.  The  first  Euro- 
pean expert  in  precious  stones  has  valued  this  extraor- 
dinary gem,  which  is  still  in  the  rough,  at  three  hun- 
dred million  sterling  I  Its  actual  weight  is  something 
over  one  poimd  troy.  In  the  light  of  such  a  state- 
ment, we  pause  to  ask  ourselves.  What  is  a  diamond  ? 
Simply  carbon  crystallized,  that  is,  in  its  greatest 
purity,  and  carbon  is  the  combustible   principle   of 


PREVALENCE    OF   EPIDEMICS.  153 

charcoal.  The  author  was  told,  both  here  and  in  Rio 
Janeiro,  that  there  is  a  considerable  and  profitable 
mining  industry  carried  on  in  this  country,  of  which 
the  general  public  hear  nothing.  The  results  are  only 
known  to  prominent  and  interested  Brazilians,  the 
whole  matter  being  kept  as  secret  as  possible  for  com- 
mercial reasons.  No  one  reads  anything  about  the 
products  of  the  diamond  mines  in  the  local  papers. 

We  cannot  say  that  the  city  of  Bahia  is  a  very 
healthy  locality,  though  it  certainly  seems  that  it 
ought  to  be,  it  is  so  admirably  situated.  Yellow  fever 
and  other  epidemics  prevail  more  or  less  every  year. 
The  lower  part  of  the  town,  on  the  water  front,  is  so 
shamef idly  filthy  as  to  induce  fever.  Upon  first  land- 
ing, the  stranger  finds  himself  almost  nauseated  by  the 
vile  smells  which  greet  him.  This  section  of  the  town 
is  also  very  hot,  the  cliif ,  or  upper  town,  shutting  off 
almost  entirely  the  circulation  of  air.  It  is  here  that 
sailors,  particularly,  indulge  in  all  sorts  of  excesses, 
especially  in  drinking  the  vile,  raw  liquor  sold  by  ne- 
gresses,  besides  eating  imripe  and  overripe  fruit,  thus 
inviting  disease.  One  favorite  drink  produced  here, 
very  cheap  and  very  potent,  is  a  poisonous  but  seduc- 
tive white  rum. 

The  trade  and  people  in  this  part  of  the  town  form 
a  strange  conglomerate,  —  monkeys,  parrots,  caged 
birds,  tame  jaguars,  mongrel  puppies,  pineapples, 
oranges,  mangoes,  and  bananas,  these  being  flanked  by 
vegetables  and  flowers.  The  throng  is  made  up  of 
half-naked  boatmen,  indolent  natives  from  the  coun- 


154  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

try,  with  negresses,  both  as  venders  and  purchasers. 
As  we  look  at  the  scene,  in  addition  to  what  we  have 
depicted  there  is  a  jovial  group  of  sailors  from  a  man- 
of-war  in  the  harbor  enjoying  their  shore  leave,  while 
not  far  away  a  small  party  of  yachtsmen  from  an  Eng- 
lish craft  are  amusing  themselves  with  petty  bargains, 
close  followed  by  half  a  dozen  Americans,  who  came 
hither  in  the  last  mail  steamer.  A  polyglot  scene  of 
mixed  tongues  and  gay  colors. 

In  passing  into  and  out  of  the  harbor  of  Bahia,  one 
can  count  a  dozen  forts  and  batteries,  all  constructed 
after  the  old  style,  and  armed  in  the  most  ineffective 
manner.  These  would  count  as  nothing  in  a  contest 
with  modern  ships  of  war  having  plated  hulls  and 
arms  of  precision.  Land  fortifications,  designed  to 
protect  commercial  ports  from  foreign  enemies,  have 
not  kept  pace  with  the  progress  in  naval  armament. 

Bahia  is  connected  by  submarine  telegraph  with 
Pemambuco,  Para,  and  Rio  Janeiro,  and  through 
them  with  aU  parts  of  the  civilized  world. 


i 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Cape  Frio.  —  Rio  Janeiro.  —  A  Splendid  Harbor.  —  Various  Moun- 
tains.—  Botafogo  Bay.  —  The  Hunchback. —  Farewell  to  the  Vi- 
gilancia.  —  Tijuca.  —  Italian  Emigrants.  —  City  Institutions.  — 
Public  Amusements.  —  Street  Musicians.  —  Churches.  —  Narrow 
Thoroughfares.  —  Merchants'  Clerks.  —  Railroads  in  Brazil.  —  Nat- 
ural Advantages  of  the  City.  -^  The  Public  Plazas.  —  Exports. 

After  a  three  days'  voyage  down  the  coast,  be- 
tween Bahia  and  Rio  Janeiro,  the  tall  lighthouse  of 
Cape  Frio  — "  Cool  Cape  "  —  was  sighted.  This  prom- 
ontory is  a  large  oval  mass  of  granite,  sixteen  hundred 
feet  in  height,  quite  isolated  from  other  highlands, 
protruding  boldly  into  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  It  forms 
the  southeastern  extremity  of  the  coast  of  Brazil,  and 
in  clear  weather  can  be  seen,  it  is  said,  forty  miles 
or  more  away.  Here  the  long  swell  of  the  open  sea  is 
miobstructed  and  finds  full  sway,  asserting  its  giant 
power  at  all  seasons  of  the  year.  Experienced  trav- 
elers who  rarely  suffer  from  seasickness  are  apt  to 
succumb  to  this  trying  illness  off  Cape  Frio.  It  is 
situated  in  latitude  22°  59'  south,  longitude  41°  57' 
west,  which  is  particularly  specified  because  the  line 
of  no  magnetic  variation  touches  on  this  cape,  —  that 
line  which  Columbus  was  so  amazed  at  discovering 
one  hundred  leagues  west  of  Flores,  in  the  Azores, 
nearly  four  hundred  years  ago.     We  had  been  ran- 


156  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

ning  almost  due  south  for  the  last  eight  hundred  miles, 
but  in  doubling  Cape  Frio,  and  making  for  Rio  harbor, 
the  ship  was  headed  to  the  westward,  while  the  moun- 
tains on  the  coast  assimied  the  most  grotesque  and 
singular  shapes,  the  range  extending  from  west  to  east 
until  it  ends  at  Cape  Frio.  The  continent  of  South 
America  here  forms  a  sharp  angle,  but  we  were  too 
full  of  expectancy  as  to  the  king  of  harbors  towards 
which  we  were  heading,  to  speculate  much  about  Cape 
Frio  and  its  ocean-swept  surroundings. 

Rio  Janeiro,  the  capital  of  Brazil,  is  also  the  lar- 
gest, if  not  the  most  important  city  in  South  America, 
situated  about  twelve  hundred  miles  north  of  Monte- 
video and  Buenos  Ayres,  just  within  the  borders  of 
the  southern  torrid  zone.  The  distance  of  Rio  from 
New  York  direct  is  five  thousand  miles,  but  most  voy- 
agers, on  the  way  through  the  West  Indies,  stop  at 
three  or  four  of  these  islands,  and  also  at  some  of  the 
northern  ports  of  the  continent  of  South  America,  the 
same  as  in  our  own  case,  so  that  about  five  hundred 
miles  may  be  fairly  added  to  the  distance  we  have  just 
named.  Though  the  vessel  was  a  month  in  making 
the  voyage  to  this  port,  had  we  sailed  direct  it  might 
have  been  done  in  two  thirds  of  the  time. 

After  doubling  the  cape  and  sailing  some  sixty  or 
eighty  miles,  we  steered  boldly  towards  the  mouth  of 
the  harbor  of  Rio.  For  a  few  moments  the  ship's 
prow  pointed  towards  Raza  Island,  on  which  stands 
the  lighthouse,  but  a  slight  turn  of  the  wheel  soon 
changed  its  relative  position,  and  we  entered  the  pas- 


HARBOR   OF  RIO  JANEIRO.  157 

sage  leading  into  the  bay.  After  passing  the  "  Sugar 
Loaf,"  a  rock  twelve  hundred  feet  in  height,  the  city 
lay  off  our  port  bow.  All  is  so  well  defined,  the 
water  is  so  deep  and  free  from  obstructions  of  any 
sort,  that  no  pilot  is  required  and  none  is  taken,  and 
thus  we  crept  slowly  up  towards  our  moorings.  As 
the  reader  may  well  suppose,  to  eyes  weary  of  the  mo- 
notony of  the  sea,  the  panorama  which  opened  before 
us  was  one  of  intense  interest.  Everything  seemed 
matured  and  olden.  There  was  no  sign  of  newness ; 
indeed,  we  recalled  the  fact  that  Rio  was  an  established 
commercial  port  half  a  century  before  New  York  had 
a  local  habitation  or  a  name.  The  town  lies  on  the 
west  side  of  the  port,  between  a  mountain  range  and 
the  bay,  running  back  less  than  two  miles  in  depth, 
but  extending  along  the  shore  for  a  distance  of  some 
eight  miles,  fronting  one  of  the  finest  and  most  spa- 
cious harbors  in  the  world,  famous  for  its  manifold 
scenic  beauties,  which,  from  the  moment  of  passing 
within  the  narrow  entrance,  are  ever  changing  and 
ever  lovely.  The  most  prominent  features  are  the 
verdure-clad  hills  of  Gloria,  Theresa,  and  Castello, 
behind  which  extend  ranges  of  steep,  everlasting 
mountains,  one  line  beyond  another,  until  lost  among 
the  clouds.  Few  natural  spectacles  can  equal  the 
grand  contour  of  this  famous  bay.  People  who  have 
visited  it  always  speak  in  superlative  language  of 
Rio  hg,rbor,  but  we  hardly  think  it  could  be  over- 
praised. It  is  the  grand  entrance  to  a  tropical  par- 
adise, so  far  as  nature  is  concerned,  amid  clustering 


158  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

mountains,  abrupt  headlands,  inviting  inlets,  and 
beautiful  islands,  covered  with  palms,  tree-ferns, 
bananas,  acacias,  and  other  delights  of  tropical  vege- 
tation, which,  when  seen  depicted  in  books,  impress 
one  as  an  exaggeration,  but  seen  here  thrill  us  with 
vivid  reality.  It  is  only  in  the  torrid  zone  that  one 
sees  these  lavish  developments  of  verdure,  these  laby- 
rinths of  charming  arboreous  effect. 

Though  so  well  known  and  so  often  written  about, 
the  harbor  of  Rio  is  less  famous  than  beautiful.  The 
bay  is  said  to  contain  about  one  hundred  islands,  its 
area  extending  inland  some  seventeen  or  eighteen 
miles.  The  largest  of  these  is  Governor's  Island, 
nearly  fronting  the  city,  being  six  miles  long.  Some 
idea  of  the  extent  of  the  bay  may  be  had  from  the 
fact  that  there  are  fifty  square  miles  of  good  anchorage 
for  ships  within  its  compass.  Into  the  bay  flows  the 
water  of  two  inconsiderable  rivers,  the  Macacu  and 
the  Igua^u,  the  first  named  coming  in  at  the  north- 
east and  the  latter  at  the  northwest  corner  of  the 
harbor. 

The  Organ  Mountains,  —  Serra  dos  Orgaos,  — 
capped  with  soft,  fleecy  clouds,  formed  the  lofty  back- 
ground of  the  picture  towards  the  north,  as  we  entered 
upon  the  scene,  the  immediate  surroundings  being 
dominated  by  the  sky-reaching  Sugar  Loaf  Rock,  — 
Pao  d'Assucar,  — which  is  also  the  navigator's  guid- 
ing mark  while  yet  far  away  at  sea.  This  bold,  irreg- 
ular rock  of  red  sandstone  rises  abruptly  from  the 
water,  like  a  giant  standing  waist-high  in  the  sea,  and 


THE  ORGAN  MOUNTAINS.  159 

forms  the  western  boundary  of  the  entrance  to  the 
harbor,  opposite  to  which,  crowning  a  small  but  bold 
promontory,  is  the  fort  of  Santa  Cruz,  the  two  high- 
lands forming  an  appropriate  portal  to  the  grandeur 
which  is  to  greet  one  within.  The  distance  between 
these  bounds  is  about  a  mile,  inside  of  which  the 
water  widens  at  once  to  lake-like  proportions. 
Clouds  of  frigate  birds,  gulls,  and  gannets  fly  grace- 
fully about  each  incoming  ship,  as  if  to  welcome  them 
to  the  harbor  where  anchorage  might  be  had  for  the 
combined  shipping  of  the  whole  world.  We  have 
lately  seen  the  harbor  of  Rio  compared  to  that  of 
Queenstown,  on  the  Irish  coast,  twenty  times  magni- 
fied ;  but  the  infinite  superiority  of  the  former  in  every 
respect  makes  the  allusion  quite  pointless. 

The  Organ  Mountains,  to  which  we  have  referred, 
and  which  form  so  conspicuous  a  portion  of  the  scene 
in  and  about  Rio,  are  so  called  because  of  their  fan- 
cied resemblance  in  shape  to  the  pipes  of  an  organ ;  but 
though  blessed  with  the  usual  share  of  imagination, 
we  were  quite  unable  to  trace  any  such  resemblance. 
However,  one  must  not  be  hypercritical.  The  gigan- 
tic recimibent  form  of  a  human  being,  so  often  spoken 
of  as  discernible  along  this  mountain  range,  is  no  po- 
etical fancy,  but  is  certainly  clear  enough  to  any  eye, 
recalling  the  likeness  to  a  crouching  lion  outlined 
by  the  promontory  of  Gibraltar  as  one  first  sees  the 
rock,  either  on  entering  the  strait  or  coming  from 
Malta. 

One  of  the  most  beautiful  indentures  of  the  shore, 


160  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

earliest  to  catch  the  eye  after  passing  into  the  harbor 
of  Rio  from  the  sea,  is  called  the  Bay  of  Botafogo. 
The  word  means  "thrown  into  the  fire,"  and  alludes 
to  the  inhuman  autos-da-fe  which  occurred  here  when 
the  natives,  on  refusing  to  subscribe  to  the  Roman 
Catholic  faith,  were  committed  by  the  priests  to  the 
flames !  This  is  the  way  in  which  the  Romish  creed 
was  introduced  into  Mexico  and  South  America,  and 
the  means  by  which  it  was  sustained. 

The  principal  charm  of  this  lovely  bay  within  a 
bay  —  Botafogo  —  is  its  flowers  and  exposition  of 
soaring  royal  palms.  The  attractiveness  of  the  hand- 
some residences  is  quite  secondary  to  that  of  nature, 
here  revealed  with  a  lavish  profusion.  This  part  of 
Rio  is  overshadowed  by  the  tall  peak  of  the  Corco- 
vado,  "the  Hunchback,"  one  of  the  mass  of  hills 
which  occupy  a  large  area  west  of  the  city,  and  the 
nearest  mountain  to  it.  From  its  never-failing  springs 
comes  a  large  share  of  the  water  supply  of  the  capital. 
The  aqueduct  is  some  ten  miles  long,  crossing  a  valley 
at  one  point  seven  hundred  feet  in  width,  at  a  height 
of  ninety  feet,  upon  double  arches.  Another  large 
aqueduct  is  in  contemplation,  besides  which  some  other 
sources  are  now  in  actual  operation,  as  Rio  has  long 
since  outgrown  the  capacity  of  the  original  supply  de- 
rived from  the  Corcovado.  The  drainage  of  the  town 
suffers  seriously  for  want  of  sufficient  water  where- 
with to  flush  the  conduits,  which  at  this  writing,  with 
the  deadly  fever  claiming  victims  on  all  hands,  are 
permitted  to  remain  in  a  stagnant  condition!     And 


LANDING  AT  RIO  JANEIRO.  161 

yet  there  are  hundreds  of  hills  round  about,  within 
long  cannon  range,  which  would  readily  yield  the  re- 
quired element  in  almost  limitless  quantity. 

We  left  the  Vigilancia,  and  our  good  friend  Cap- 
tain Baker,  with  regret.  The  noble  ship  had  borne 
us  in  safety  thousands  of  miles  during  the  past  month, 
through  storms  and  calms,  amid  intense  tropical  heat, 
and  such  floods  of  rain  as  are  only  encountered  in 
southern  seas.  Watching  from  her  deck,  there  had 
been  revealed  to  us  the  glories  of  the  changing  lati- 
tudes, and  particularly  the  grandeur  of  the  radiant 
heavens  in  equatorial  regions.  A  sense  of  all-ab- 
sorbing curiosity  prevailed  as  we  landed  at  the  stone 
steps,  overlooked  by  the  yellow-ochre  walls  of  the 
arsenal,  in  the  picturesque,  though  pestilential  city. 
The  nauseous  odors  which  greet  one  as  he  steps  on 
shore  are  very  discordant  elements  in  connection  with 
the  intense  interest  created  by  the  novel  sights  that 
engage  the  eye  of  a  stranger. 

With  a  population,  including  the  immediate  sub- 
urbs, of  over  half  a  million,  —  estimated  at  six  him- 
dred  and  fifty  thousand,  —  Rio  has  most  of  the  belong- 
ings of  a  North  American  city  of  the  first  class, 
though  we  cannot  refrain  from  mentioning  one  re- 
markable exception,  namely,  the  entire  absence  of  good 
hotels.  There  is  not  a  really  good  and  comfortable 
public  house  in  all  Brazil.  Those  which  do  exist  in 
Rio  charge  exorbitantly  for  the  most  indifferent  ser- 
vice, and  strangers  are  often  puzzled  to  find  a  sleep- 
ing-room for  a  single   night   on  first  arriving  here. 


162  EQUATORIAL   AMERICA. 

Tijuca,  situated  in  the  hills  a  few  miles  from  the  city, 
is  perhaps  the  most  desirable  place  of  temporary  so- 
journ for  the  newly  arrived  traveler,  who  will  find  at 
least  one  large  and  comfortable  public  house  there,  fa- 
vorably known  to  travelers  as  Whyte's  Hotel.  It  is 
some  little  distance  from  the  city,  but  is  easily  reached 
by  tramway,  which  takes  one  to  the  foot  of  the  hills 
of  the  Tijuca  range,  whose  tallest  peak  is  thirty -four 
hundred  feet  above  tide -water.  This  place  abounds 
in  attractive  villas,  tropical  vegetation,  and  beautiful 
flowers,  both  wild  and  cultivated.  From  here  also 
one  gets  a  most  charming  view  of  the  distant  city,  the 
famous  bay,  and  the  broad  Atlantic ;  indeed,  the  view 
alone  will  repay  one  for  making  this  brief  excursion. 
The  loftiest  village  in  these  hiUs  is  called  Boa  Vista. 
There  are  mountains,  however,  on  either  side,  which 
are  five  or  six  hundred  feet  higher  than  the  village 
containing  the  hotel.  American  enterprise  is  en- 
gaged at  this  writing  in  constructing  a  narrow  gauge 
electric  tramway  to  the  summit  of  Tijuca.  The  driv- 
ing road  from  the  base  to  the  top  is  an  admirable  piece 
of  engineering,  and  is  kept  in  the  very  best  condition 
possible. 

The  objectionable  character  of  the  Italian  emigrants, 
who  come  hither  as  well  as  to  our  own  States,  was 
demonstrated  by  a  party  of  them  robbing  and  nearly 
murdering  a  resident  of  Tijuca  who  happened  to  be  a 
short  distance  from  his  own  house,  the  evening  pre- 
vious to  the  day  which  we  spent  at  this  resort.  These 
Italians  are  mostly  employed  as  workmen  upon  the 


PUBLIC  EDIFICES.  163 

railroad,  though  some  are  gardeners  on  the  neighbor- 
ing estates.  In  town  they  act  as  porters  and  day 
laborers  on  the  wharves,  as  boatmen,  and  so  on,  but, 
as  we  were  assured,  are  a  lawless,  vagabond  element 
of  the  community,  giving  the  police  force  a  great  deal 
of  trouble. 

Rio  has  many  large  and  commodious  public  build- 
ings and  some  elegant  private  residences,  the  latter 
generally  of  a  half  Moorish  type  of  architecture. 
Some  of  the  edifices  date  back  a  couple  of  centuries. 
The  early  Portuguese  built  of  stone  and  cement, 
hence  the  somewhat  remarkable  durability  of  these 
houses.  The  large  edifice  devoted  to  the  department 
of  agriculture  and  public  works  is  one  of  the  most 
noticeable  in  the  city.  The  Bank  of  Brazil  occupies 
a  building  which  is  classic  in  its  fine  architecture, 
being  elaborately  constructed  of  hammered  granite. 
There  is  no  more  superb  example  of  masonry  in  the 
country.  The  National  Mint,  on  the  Square  of  the 
Republic,  is  also  a  fine  granite  building;  so  is  that 
devoted  to  the  Bourse,  where  enormous  values  change 
hands  daily.  Educational  institutions  are  numerous, 
well  organized,  and  generally  availed  of  by  the  rising 
generation.  The  National  College  is  of  notable  in- 
fluence in  the  dissemination  of  general  intelligence, 
and  the  same  may  be  said  of  the  Polytechnic  College, 
an  excellent  and  practical  institution.  It  should  be 
observed  that  any  well-organized  educational  estab- 
lishment is  called  a  college  in  this  country. 

The  public  library  of  Rio  contains  some  two  hun- 


164  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

dred  thousand  volumes,  besides  many  valuable  Spanish 
and  Portuguese  documents  in  manuscript.  It  is  lib- 
erally conducted;  black  and  white  people  alike,  as 
well  as  all  respectable  strangers,  have  free  access  and 
liberal  accommodations  within  the  walls.  This  insti- 
tution is  an  honor  to  Brazil. 

Rio  has  a  new  and  well  organized  navy  yard,  a 
large  arsenal,  cotton  mills,  and  several  extensive  man- 
ufacturing establishments.  Among  the  latter  is  the 
largest  flour  mill  we  have  ever  seen.  This  is  an  Eng- 
lish enterprise ;  but  so  far  as  we  could  learn,  it  had 
been  found  impossible  to  compete  profitably  with  the 
American  flour,  as  now  landed  at  Rio.  A  foundling 
hospital  on  the  Rua  Everesta  de  Veiga  is  worthy  of 
mention.  Here,  as  already  described  in  relation  to 
another  Brazilian  city,  infants  are  freely  received 
and  cared  for,  without  any  inquiry  being  made  of 
those  who  deposit  them.  These  little  ones  at  the  out- 
set become  children  of  the  state,  and  are  registered 
and  numbered  as  such.  Oftentimes  the  mother  pins  to 
the  little  deserted  one's  clothes  the  name  she  desires 
should  be  given  to  it,  and  the  wish  is  usually  regarded 
by  the  officials  of  the  institution.  The  authorities 
put  each  child  out  to  nurse  for  a  year,  but  receive 
it  back  again  at  the  expiration  of  that  time,  and 
at  a  proper  period  send  it  to  school,  and  endeavor  to 
rear  it  to  some  useful  employment  or  trade.  While 
the  child  is  thus  disposed  of,  the  payment  for  its 
board  and  care  is  very  moderate  in  amount,  and  is 
also  contingent   upon  its  good  health  and   physical 


PUBLIC  AMUSEMENTS.  165 

condition.  Thns  the  deserted  one  is  likely  to  have 
good  attention,  if  not  for  humanity's  sake,  then  from 
mercenary  motives.  This  plan  is  copied  from  that 
which  is  pursued  by  the  great  foimdling  hospitals  of 
St.  Petersburg  and  Moscow,  which  are  certainly  the 
best  organized  and  largest  institutions  of  the  sort  in 
the  world.  Where  so  large  a  percentage  of  the  chil- 
dren born  are  illegitimate,  such  a  hospital  becomes  a 
real  necessity.  There  has  been  no  year  since  this  es- 
tablishment was  opened,  in  1738,  as  we  were  told,  in 
which  less  than  four  hundred  infants  were  received. 
Sometimes  parents,  whose  worldly  conditions  have 
greatly  improved,  come  forward  after .  the  lapse  of 
years  and  claim  their  children.  This  right  on  their 
part  is  duly  respected  by  their  properly  proving  the 
relationship  beyond  all  possible  doubt,  and  paying  a 
smn  of  money  equal  to  that  which  has  been  actually 
expended  by  the  state  in  the  child's  behalf. 

In  the  line  of  public  amusements  there  is  a  large 
and  well  appointed  opera  house  besides  eight  other 
fairly  good  theatres,  together  with  an  excellent  mu- 
seum. The  performances  at  the  theatres  are  given  in 
French,  Spanish,  and  Portuguese.  Italian  opera  is 
presented  three  times  a  week  during  the  season.  This 
year  the  performances  were  summarily  stopped  by  the 
principal  tenor  dying  of  yellow  fever.  The  theatre 
bearing  the  name  of  the  late  emperor  is  a  sort  of 
mammoth  cave  in  size,  and  is  capable  of  seating  six 
thousand  people,  not  one  haK  of  whom  can  hear  what 
is  said  or  simg  upon  the  stage  by  the  performers. 


166  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

Street  bands  of  German  musicians  perform  here  as 
they  do  in  Boston  and  New  York;  the  mass  of  the 
people,  being  music  loving,  patronize  these  itinerants 
liberally.  One  band  posted  themselves  daily  before 
the  popular  Globe  Restaurant,  at  the  hour  of  the  mid- 
day meal  (breakfast),  and  performed  admirably,  reap- 
ing a  generous  response  from  the  habitues.  Most  of 
the  patrons  of  this  excellent  establishment  were  ob- 
served to  be  American,  English,  and  French  mer- 
chants, who  attended  to  business  in  Eio  during  the 
day,  but  who  went  home  to  the  elevated  environs  to 
dine  and  to  sleep.  "I  have  been  here  in  business 
nine  years,"  said  one  of  these  gentlemen  to  us,  "and 
have  been  down  with  the  fever  once ;  but  I  would  not 
sleep  in  Rio  overnight  for  any  amount  of  money,  at 
this  season  of  the  year."  This  was  early  in  June. 
He  added :  "  The  fever  should  have  disappeared  before 
this  time,  which  is  our  winter,  but  it  seems  to  linger 
later  and  later  each  succeeding  year."  This  was  a 
conclusion  which  we  heard  expressed  by  other  obser- 
vant individuals,  but  all  joined  in  ascribing  its  per- 
sistency in  no  small  degree  to  the  imperfect  drainage, 
and  the  vile  personal  habits  of  the  mass  of  the  common 
people,  who  make  no  effort  to  be  cleanly,  or  to  regard 
the  decencies  of  life  in  this  respect. 

As  to  churches,  Rio  has  between  sixty  and  seventy, 
none  of  which  are  very  remarkable,  all  being  dim, 
dirty,  and  offensive  to  the  olfactories.  The  cause  of 
the  foul  air  being  so  noticeable  in  all  of  these  Romish 
churches   is  the  fact  that  no  provision  whatever  is 


THE  CATHEDRAL.  167 

made  for  proper  ventilation,  and  this,  too,  in  places 
of  all  others  where  it  is  most  imperatively  necessary. 
The  ofifense  is  created  by  exhalations  from  the  bodies 
of  the  least  cleanly  class  of  the  population.  It  is  such 
who  mostly  fill  these  churches  all  over  the  continent 
of  Europe,  Mexico,  South  America,  and  the  United 
States.  Precisely  the  same  disgusting  odor  greets 
the  senses  of  the  visitor  to  these  edifices,  be  it  in  one 
hemisphere  or  another,  but  especially  in  Italy  and 
Spain. 

The  cathedral  of  Rio  is  a  large,  showy  edifice,  sur- 
rounded by  narrow  streets,  and  thus  hidden  by  other 
buildings,  so  that  no  general  and  satisfactory  outside 
effect  can  be  had.  The  front  and  sides  are  of  solid 
granite,  and  the  whole  is  known  to  have  cost  a  mint  of 
money,  yet  the  safety  of  the  foundation  is  more  than 
questionable.  Like  the  grand  church  of  St.  Isaacs, 
in  the  Russian  capital  of  St.  Petersburg,  great  expense 
will  doubtless  have  to  be  incurred  to  renew  and 
strengthen  it  in  this  respect.  It  is  believed  that  the 
site  upon  which  Rio  stands  was  once  under  the  sea, 
and,  geologically  speaking,  at  no  very  remote  period, 
which  accounts  for  considerable  trouble  being  expe- 
rienced in  obtaining  secure  and  solid  foundations  for 
any  heavy  superstructure.  At  this  writing,  the  cathe- 
dral is  undergoing  extensive  repairs,  inside  and  out, 
but  in  spite  of  the  noise  of  workmen,  the  disagreeable 
lime  dust,  and  the  interference  of  a  network  of  in- 
terior staging,  it  is  still  very  striking  in  its  archi- 
tectural effect. 


168  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

In  the  old  part  of  the  town,  two  prominent  cupolas 
dominate  the  surroundings.  These  belong  respec- 
tively to  the  churches  of  Candelaria  and  San  Luigi. 
The  most  popular  church  in  Rio  is  undoubtedly  that 
which  crowns  the  Gloria  Hill,  called  the  Igreja  da 
Gloria  do  Onterio,  which  overlooks  the  bay.  Its 
commanding  situation  is  very  remarkable.  In  shape 
it  is  octagonal,  and  seems  to  be  very  solidly  built. 
In  front  of  the  church  there  is  a  broad  terrace,  from 
whence  a  fine  view  may  be  enjoyed.  On  a  moon- 
light night  the  picture  presented  from  the  Gloria  Hill 
is  something  worth  going  miles  on  foot  to  behold. 
This  church  was  the  favorite  resort  of  the  late  royal 
family  when  they  were  in  the  city,  though  much  of 
their  home  life  and  all  of  their  simuners  were  passed 
in  the  hills  of  the  Organ  Mountains  at  the  emperor's 
favorite  resort,  —  Petropolis. 

The  shops  of  Rio,  notwithstanding  they  are  gener- 
ally small  and  situated  upon  streets  so  narrow  that 
they  woidd  be  called  only  lanes  in  North  America,  — 
close,  confined,  half  -  strangled  thoroughfares,  —  will 
compare  favorably  in  many  respects  with  those  of  con- 
tinental Europe.  The  larger  number  of  the  merchants 
here  are  French,  together  with  a  considerable  sprin- 
kling of  German  Jews.  Indeed,  can  any  one  tell  us 
where  we  shall  not  find  this  peculiar  race  represented 
in  the  trade  centres  of  the  wide  world?  In  many  of 
the  fancy  goods  stores  the  famous  Brazilian  feather 
flowers  are  exhibited  for  sale,  but  the  best  place  to 
purchase  these  is  at  Bahia,  where  they  are  a  specialty, 


MERCHANTS'   CLERKS.  169 

and  where  their  manufacture  is  said  to  have  origi- 
nated. The  narrow  streets,  traversed  by  tramways, 
are  at  times  ahuost  impassable  for  pedestrians,  and 
are  often  blocked  by  heavy  mule  teams  for  fifteen 
minutes  at  a  time.  By  and  by  some  lazy  policeman 
makes  his  appearance  and  quietly  begins  to  unravel 
the  snarl,  which  he  at  length  succeeds  in  doing,  and 
the  ordinary  traffic  of  the  thoroughfare  is  once  more 
resumed.  An  unsightly  gutter  runs  through  the 
middle  of  some  of  these  thoroughfares,  which  adds 
to  the  annoyances  incident  to  ordinary  travel.  All 
are  regularly  laid  out,  chess-board  fashion,  very  ill 
smelling,  and  harbor  an  infinite  number  of  beggars 
and  mangy  dogs. 

It  is  customary  for  local  merchants  who  employ  Eu- 
ropean clerks  —  and  there  are  many  English,  French, 
and  Brazilians  in  Rio  who  do  so,  —  to  give  them  a 
fixed  salary,  quite  moderate  in  amount,  and  to  fur- 
nish them  with  lodgings  also.  The  latter  are  of  a  very 
rude  and  undesirable  character,  in  the  business  estab- 
lishment itself,  either  over  the  store,  or  in  the  back 
part  of  it.  The  bedding  which  is  furnished  is  of  a 
makeshift  character,  rarely  changed,  and  never  prop- 
erly aired.  Exceedingly  uncleanly  domestic  arrange- 
ments, or  the  entire  absence  of  them,  are  also  a  serious 
matter  in  this  connection,  from  a  sanitary  point  of 
view.  The  clerks  get  their  food  at  some  neighboring 
restaurant,  and  contract  irregular  habits,  all  of  which 
is  both  mentally  and  physically  demoralizing.  It  is 
among  this  class  of  foreigners  that  the  yellow  fever 


170  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

finds  the  most  ready  victims.  To  sleep  in  these 
crowded  business  centres,  in  ill-ventilated  apartments, 
with  far  from  cleanly  surroimdings,  is  simply  to  pro- 
voke fatal  illness,  and  during  an  epidemic  of  fever 
these  places  furnish  fuel  for  the  flames.  Neatness 
and  cleanliness  among  domestic  associations  in  this 
city  are  entirely  lost  sight  of  and  are  totally  disre- 
garded by  men  and  women. 

The  Rua  Direita  is  the  State  Street  or  Wall  Street 
of  Rio;  a  new  name,  which  escapes  us  at  this  mo- 
ment, has  been  given  to  it,  but  the  old  one  is  still  the 
favorite  and  in  common  use.  Here  brokers,  bankers, 
and  commission  merchants  meet  and  bargain,  and 
fiercely  speculate  in  coffee.  The  principal  shopping 
street  is  the  Rua  de  Ouvidor,  where  the  best  stores 
and  choicest  retail  goods  are  to  be  f  oimd.  In  the  Rua 
dos  Ourives,  —  "  Goldsmith's  Street,"  —  the  display  of 
fine  jewelry,  diamonds,  and  other  precious  stones  re- 
calls the  Rue  de  la  Paix  of  Paris.  Diamonds  are  held 
at  quite  as  high  prices  as  in  London  or  New  York, 
and  those  of  the  best  quality  can  be  bought  better  at 
retail  out  of  this  country  than  in  it.  A  poor  quality 
of  stone,  off  color,  is  imported  and  offered  here  as 
being  of  native  production,  and  careless  purchasers 
are  not  infrequently  deceived  by  cunning  dealers  in 
these  matters. 

Two  vehicles  cannot  pass  each  other  in  this  avenue 
without  driving  upon  the  narrow  sidewalk.  At  times 
a  deafening  uproar  prevaib  along  these  circumscribed 
lanes.    The  rough  grinding  of  wheels,  noisy  bootblacks. 


LOCAL  FASHIONS   OF  DRESS.  Ill 

whooping  orange-sellers,  screaming  newspaper  boys, 
howling  dogs,  the  rattle  of  the  street  peddler,  lottery- 
ticket  venders,  fighting  street  gamins,  all  join  to  swell 
the  mingled  chorus.  And  yet  these  crowded  thorough- 
fares would  lose  half  of  their  picturesqueness  were 
these  elements  to  be  banished  from  them.  They  each 
and  all  add  a  certain  crude  element  of  interest  to  this 
every -day  picture  of  Vanity  Fair. 

In  their  ambition  to  copy  European  and  North 
American  fashions,  the  gentlemen  of  Rio  utterly  dis- 
regard the  eternal  fitness  of  things,  wearing  broad- 
cloth suits  of  black,  with  tall,  stovepipe  hats,  neither 
of  which  articles  should  be  adopted  for  a  moment  in 
their  torrid  climate.  Nothing  could  be  more  inap- 
propriate. Linen  clothing  and  light  straw  hats  are 
the  true  costume  for  the  tropics,  naturally  suggesting 
themselves  in  hot  climates  to  the  exclusion  of  woolen, 
heat-brewing  costumes,  which  are  necessary  articles  of 
wear  in  the  north.  Fashion,  however,  ignores  climate 
and  is  omnipotent  everywhere ;  comfort  is  subsidiary. 
Wear  woolen  clothing  by  all  means,  gentlemen  of  Rio, 
even  when  the  thermometer  hangs  persistently  at 
95°  Fahr.  in  the  shade,  and  the  human  body  perspires 
like  a  mountain  stream. 

The  tramway  system  of  Rio  is  excellent  in  a  crude 
way.  Statistics  show  that  fifty  million  passengers  are 
annually  transported  by  this  popular  means  from  one 
part  of  the  city  to  another,  and  into  the  suburbs. 
The  street  railway  was  first  introduced  here  by  North 
American  enterprise,  the  pioneer  route  being  that  be- 


172  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

tween  the  city  proper  and  the  botanical  garden.  The 
prices  of  passage  vary  according  to  distances,  as  is  the 
case  with  the  London  omnibuses.  The  cars  are  all 
open  ones,  of  cheap,  coarse  construction,  and  far  from 
inviting  in  appearance,  being  entirely  unupholstered, 
and  affording  only  hard  board  seats  for  passengers 
to  sit  upon.  They  are  usually  drawn  by  one  small 
donkey,  whose  strength  is  quite  overtasked,  but  the 
ground  in  the  city  is  so  nearly  level  that  the  cars 
move  very  easily  and  rapidly. 

There  is  one  delightful  excursion  from  Rio  which 
nearly  all  strangers  are  sure  to  enjoy.  We  refer  to 
the  ascent  of  Corcovado,  the  mountain  which  looms 
over  Botafogo  Bay  to  the  height  of  twenty-two  hun- 
dred feet,  and  to  the  summit  of  which  a  railway  has 
been  constructed.  The  grades  are  extremely  steep,  and 
the  road  is  what  is  called  a  centre  line,  worked  upon 
the  cog-wheel  system,  the  ascent  being  very  slow  and 
winding.  The  principle  is  the  same  as  that  of  the 
railway  by  which  Mount  Washington  is  ascended,  in 
New  Hampshire,  or  the  Righi,  in  Switzerland.  This 
road  was  built  by  the  national  government,  but  as  a 
pecuniary  speculation  it  does  not  pay,  though  it  is  of 
considerable  indirect  benefit  to  the  city.  We  will  not 
dilate  upon  the  grand  outlook  to  be  had  from  the  svun- 
mit  of  the  Hunchback,  which  takes  in  a  bird's-eye 
view  of  the  harbor  and  its  surroundings,  but  will  add 
that  no  one  should  come  hither  without  ascending 
Corcovado.  The  top  consists  of  two  rounded  masses 
of  bare  rock,  and  is  walled  in  to  prevent  accident, 


NICTHEROY.  173 

there  being  on  one  side  a  perpendicular  descent  of  a 
thousand  feet.  It  gives  one  at  first  a  dizzy  sensa- 
tion to  look  down  upon  the  vast  city  spread  out  over 
the  plain,  from  whence  a  hum  of  mingled  sounds 
comes  up  with  singular  distinctness.  Even  the  bells 
upon  the  mules  which  are  attached  to  the  tram-cars 
can  be  distinguished,  and  other  sounds  still  more  del- 
icate and  minute.  Just  so  balloonists  tell  us  that 
at  two  or  three  thousand  feet  in  mid -air  they  can 
distinguish  the  voices  of  individuals  upon  the  earth 
below  them.  The  experienced  traveler  learns  to  be 
astonished  at  nothing,  but  there  are  degrees  of  plea- 
sure induced  by  beautiful  and  majestic  views  which 
mount  to  the  apex  of  our  capacity  for  admiration. 
One  can  safely  promise  such  a  realizing  sense  to  him 
who  ascends  the  Corcovado. 

A  tramway  which  starts  from  the  centre  of  the  city 
will  take  the  traveler  to  the  base  of  the  hill,  through 
roads  lined  by  palms  of  great  age  and  beauty,  finally 
leaving  him  near  the  point  from  whence  the  steam 
road  begins  the  upward  journey. 

Nictheroy,  just  across  the  harbor  of  Rio,  on  the 
east  side  of  the  bay,  is  a  sort  of  faubourg  of  the  cap- 
ital, with  which  it  is  connected  by  a  line  of  steam  fer- 
ry-boats, as  Chelsea  is  with  Boston,  or  Brooklyn  with 
the  city  of  New  York.  It  is  the  capital  of  the  prov- 
ince of  Rio  Janeiro,  and  has  broader  streets,  is  more 
reasonably  laid  out,  and  is  kept  more  cleanly  than  Rio 
itself.  Space  is  found  for  a  profusion  of  attractive 
gardens,  and  the  senses  are  greeted  by  sweet  odors  in 


174  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

the  place  of  needlessly  offensive  smells,  which  attack 
one  on  all  sides  in  the  metropolis  so  near  at  hand.  It 
is  quite  a  relief  to  get  on  to  one  of  the  ferry-boats 
and  cross  over  to  Nictheroy  occasionally,  for  a  breath 
of  pure  air.  This  is  the  native  Indian  name  of  the 
place,  and  signifies  "hidden  water,"  particularly  ap- 
plicable when  these  land-locked  bays  were  shrouded 
in  dense  tropical  woods. 

Unlike  Para,  Montevideo,  and  Buenos  Ayres,  this 
city  has  no  special  river  communication  with  the 
interior,  but  her  commerce  is  large  and  increasing. 
Railroads  are  more  reliable  feeders  for  business  than 
either  rivers  or  canals.  It  is  a  fact  which  is  not 
generally  realized,  that  Brazil  has  over  six  thousand 
miles  of  well-constructed  railways  in  operation,  besides 
having  a  telegraph  system  covering  seven  thousand 
miles  of  land  service.  In  the  construction  of  the  rail- 
roads, the  cost,  so  far  as  the  ground  work  and  grading 
was  concerned,  was  reduced  to  the  minimum,  owing 
to  the  level  nature  of  the  country.  As  was  the  case 
in  New  Zealand,  many  of  these  railways  were  con- 
structed at  great  expense,  in  anticipation  of  the  wants 
of  a  future  population,  who  it  was  hoped  would  settle 
rapidly  upon  the  route  which  they  followed.  That 
is  to  say,  many  of  these  roads  did  not  open  commu- 
nication between  populous  districts  already  in  exist- 
ence. This  would  have  been  perfectly  legitimate. 
They  run  to  no  particular  objective  point,  and  seem 
to  stop  finally  nowhere.  The  natural  sequence  fol- 
lowed.    After  being  built  and  equipped  with   bor- 


TRANSPORTATION.  175 

rowed  money,  they  were  anything  but  self-supporting, 
and  pecuniary  aid  from  the  government  was  freely 
given  to  enable  them  to  be  kept  in  operation. 

There  must  always  come  a  day  of  reckoning  for  all 
such  forced  schemes,  and  the  Brazilian  railways  were 
no  exception  to  the  rule.  This  is  largely  the  primary 
cause  of  the  present  monetary  troubles  in  this  coun- 
try, as  well  as  in  the  Argentine  Republic.  The  capi- 
tal for  the  construction  of  these  roads  came  mostly 
from  England,  and  that  country  has  been  accordingly 
a  heavy  pecuniary  sufferer.  The  rates  charged  for 
transportation  upon  most  of  the  lines  are  also  exor- 
bitant, if  we  were  rightly  informed;  so  much  so,  in 
fact,  as  to  prove  nearly  prohibitory.  Scarcely  any 
species  of  merchandise  brought  from  a  considerable 
distance  inland  will  bear  such  freight  charges  and 
leave  a  margin  for  profit  to  the  producer  and  shipper. 
Would-be  planters  of  coffee  and  sugar-cane  dare  not 
enter  upon  raising  these  staples  for  the  market,  unless 
situated  very  near  the  shipping  point,  or  near  some 
available  river's  course,  the  latter  means  being  natu- 
rally much  cheaper  than  any  form  of  railway  transpor- 
tation. 

Situated  on  the  border  of  two  zones,  Rio  Janeiro 
has  the  products  of  both  within  her  reach,  and  thus 
possesses  peculiar  advantages  for  extensive  trade  and 
general  commerce.  It  is  in  this  latter  direction  that 
her  progressive  and  enterprising  merchants  are  en- 
deavoring to  extend  the  facilities  of  the  port.  The 
passenger  landings  —  not  wharves  —  which  border  the 


176  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

water  front  of  the  city  here  and  there  are  of  solid 
granite,  from  which  at  suitable  intervals  broad  stone 
steps  lead  down  to  the  water's  edge,  as  on  the  borders 
of  the  Neva  at  St.  Petersburg.  We  have  few,  if  any, 
such  substantial  landing-places  in  our  North  Ameri- 
can ports.  We  know  of  no  harbor  on  the  globe  which 
enjoys  a  more  eligible  situation  as  regards  the  com- 
merce of  foreign  countries,  both  of  the  New  and  the 
Old  World.  The  one  convenience  so  imperatively  de- 
manded is  proper  wharves  for  the  landing  and  ship- 
ping of  cargoes,  thus  obviating  the  necessity  of  the  ex- 
pensive and  tedious  lighter  system.  It  is  her  many 
natural  and  extraordinary  advantages  which  has  led 
to  so  steady  a  growth  of  the  city,  notwithstanding  the 
very  serious  drawback  of  an  unwholesome  climate,  ag- 
gravated by  the  indolence  and  incapacity  of  the  local 
authorities  in  sanitary  matters.  Both  consimiption 
and  yellow  fever  have  proved  more  fatal  here  than  at 
any  other  port  in  South  America,  so  far  as  we  could 
draw  comparisons. 

The  well-equipped  marine  arsenal  of  Rio  is  of  con- 
siderable interest  and  importance,  as  there  is  no  other 
port  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  between  the  Gulf  of  Mex- 
ico and  Cape  Horn,  where  a  large  modern  vessel  can 
go  into  dry  dock  for  needed  repairs.  This  receptacle 
is  ample  in  size,  and  is  substantially  built^f  granite. 
Such  an  establishment  as  a  national  shipyard  is  a 
prime  necessity  to  a  commercial  coimtry  like  Brazil, 
which  has  eleven  hundred  leagues  of  seacoast. 

In  the  Plaza  Constitution,  which  is  a  very  grand 


PUBLIC  LOTTERIES.  177 

and  spacious  park  in  the  heart  of  the  city,  there  is  an 
elaborate  and  costly  statue  of  the  father  of  the  late 
emperor,  of  heroic  size.  The  pedestal  is  surrounded 
by  four  bronze  groups,  representing  typical  scenes  of 
early  Indian  life  in  this  country.  The  Paseo  Publico 
is  also  a  garden -like  spot,  extending  three  or  four  hun- 
dred feet  along  the  bay.  This  is  a  cool  and  favorite 
resort  of  the  popiJace.  On  the  corners  of  the  prin- 
cipal streets  and  squares  there  are  little  octagonal 
structures  called  kiosks,  gayly  painted,  where  hot 
coffee,  lottery  tickets,  and  bonbons  are  sold,  as  well 
as  newspapers  and  flowers.  Here,  as  in  Havana,  the 
city  of  Mexico,  Naples,  and  many  European  cities,  the 
lottery  proves  to  be  a  terrible  curse  to  the  common 
people,  draining  their  pockets  and  diverting  them  from 
all  ideas  of  steady-going  business.  It  is  customary 
also  for  the  regularly  organized  business  establish- 
ments to  patronize  the  lottery  with  never  failing  regu- 
larity, charging  a  certain  monthly  sum  to  expense 
account,  but  the  money  is  nevertheless  paid  out  for 
lotterjji  tickets.  The  bad  moral  effect  of  this  upon 
clerks  and  all  concerned  is  very  obvious.  When  by 
chance  any  prize,  be  it  never  so  small,  is  awarded,  a 
great  flurry  is  made  of  the  fact,  and  advertisements 
emphasize  it,  thus  to  incite  fresh  investments  in  this 
organized  public  swindle.  Tickets  are  sold  by  boys 
and  girls,  men  and  women,  and  haK  the  talk  of  the 
thoughtless  multitude  is  about  the  lottery,  how  to  hit 
upon  lucky  numbers,  and  so  on. 

It  is  a  mistaken  though  popular  idea  that  our  New 


178  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

England  consumptives  have  only  to  seek  some  tropical 
locality  to  alleviate  their  special  trouble.  Rio  seems 
to  be  particularly  fatal  to  persons  suffering  from  pul- 
monary troubles.  The  same  may  be  said  of  many 
other  tropical  regions.  When  consumption  is  devel- 
oped in  the  Bahamas,  Cuba,  or  the  Sandwich  Is- 
lands, for  instance,  it  runs  its  fatal  course  with  a  speed 
never  realized  in  the  Northern  States  of  America. 
Physicians  do  not  send  patients  to  foreign  localities 
so  indiscriminately  as  they  used  to.  Almost  every 
sort  of  climate  is  to  be  found  within  the  borders  of 
the  United  States,  where  also  civilized  comforts  are 
more  universally  to  be  obtained  than  abroad.  Besides 
which,  an  invalid  does  not  have  to  brave  seasickness 
and  other  ocean  hardships,  if  sent  to  some  eligible 
locality  within  our  own  borders. 

Though  Brazil  has  long  been,  and  is  still,  famous 
for  its  production  of  diamonds,  precious  stones,  and 
gold,  yet  these  are  as  nothing  when  compared  with  her 
exports  of  sugar,  coffee,  and  hides,  not  taking  into 
account  her  product  of  rice,  cocoa,  tobacco,  dy^eoods, 
and  other  important  staples.  A  large  portion  of  the 
abnormal  growth  of  her  forests  is  valuable  for  its  tim- 
ber, resins,  fibre,  and  fruits.  It  is  naturally  a  very 
rich  country,  with  a  world  of  wealth  in  its  soil,  but 
miserable  financial  mismanagement  has  caused  the 
national  treasury  to  become  utterly  bankrupt,  and  at 
this  writing  mercantile  credit  is  an  unknown  quan- 
tity, so  to  speak.  The  natural  resources  of  the  coun- 
try are  imlimited ;  therefore  it  must  be  only  a  question 


SIZE   OF  BRAZIL.  179 

of  time  when  a  healthy  reaction  shall  set  in,  and  a 
period  of  sound  prosperity  follow. 

It  should  be  remembered  in  this  connection  that  the 
immediate  coimtry  of  which  we  are  speaking,  that  is, 
Brazil  as  a  whole,  is  as  large  as  the  United  States, 
leaving  out  the  territory  of  Alaska. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Outdoor  Scenes  in  Rio  Janeiro.  —  The  Little  Marmoset.  —  The  Fish 
Market.  —  Secluded  Women.  —  The  Romish  Church.  —  Botanical 
Garden.  —  Various  Species  of  Trees.  —  Grand  Avenue  of  Royal 
Palms.  —  About  Humming-Birds.  —  Climate  of  Rio.  —  Surrounded 
by  Yellow  Fever.  —  The  Country  Inland.  —  Begging  on  the  Streets. 
—  Flowers.  —  "Portuguese   Joe."  —  Social  Distinctions. 

It  would  require  many  pages  to  properly  describe 
Rio  Janeiro  with  its  curious  phases  of  street  life,  its 
manners  and  customs,  its  local  peculiarities,  and 
moving  panorama  of  events,  all  combining  to  make  up 
a  unique  personality.  These  out-of-door  scenes  go 
far  to  tell  the  true  story  of  any  special  locality.  The 
fruit  and  vegetable  market,  near  Palace  Square,  is  a 
highly  attractive  place  to  visit  at  early  morning.  The 
negro  women  venders,  always  stout  and  portly  crea- 
tures, with  heads  turbaned  in  many-colored  bandannas, 
a»e  eloquent  in  recommending  their  articles  for  sale, 
and  are  also  very  shrewd  at  a  bargain.  It  is  not  un- 
common for  these  middle-aged  negresses  to  stand  six 
feet  high,  without  shoes  or  stockings,  and  to  turn  the 
scales  at  double  the  average  weight  of  men  of  the  same 
color  and  class.  These  women  were  all  slaves  in  their 
girlhood.  As  regards  prices  charged  for  provisions, 
fruits,  and  vegetables,  in  the  markets  of  Rio,  they 
seemed  to  the  author  rather  exorbitant,  but  doubtless 


MARKET  SCENES.  181 

permanent  residents  do  not  pay  such  stuns  as  are 
charged  to  strangers  for  the  same  articles.  We  were 
heartily  laughed  at  by  a  housekeeper  on  stating  the 
cost  of  a  small  basket  of  choice  fruit  which  we  had 
purchased,  being  told  that  we  had  paid  four  times  its 
market  value.  However,  it  was  well  worth  the  price 
to  us,  who  had  just  arrived  from  an  ocean  voyage  of 
five  thousand  miles  and  more.  On  shipboard  fruit  is 
necessarily  a  scarce  article,  and  it  was  certainly  worth 
something  extra  to  be  introduced  for  the  first  time  to 
the  luscious  products  of  this  region. 

The  abundance  and  variety  of  flowers,  as  well  as 
their  cheapness  and  fragrance,  make  them  a  desirable 
morning  purchase,  with  all  their  dewy  freshness  upon 
them.  Oranges,  limes,  pineapples,  lemons,  alligator- 
pears,  cocoanuts,  grapes,  mangoes,  with  an  infinite 
variety  of  other  fruits,  make  up  the  stock  in  trade, 
together  with  squealing  pigs,  live  turkeys,  and  noisy 
guinea-fowls.  Here  also  are  various  gaudy  feathered 
songsters,  in  cheap,  home-made  cages,  besides  mon- 
keys, marmosets,  and  other  household  pets.  The 
macaws,  chained  by  the  leg,  and  the  screaming  par- 
rots vie  with  each  other  and  with  the  monkeys  in  the 
amount  of  noise  they  make.  Wicker  baskets  filled 
with  live  ducks,  geese,  and  fowls  are  borne  on  the 
heads  of  native  women,  who  have  brought  them  many 
a  long  weary  mile  from  far  inland,  hoping  to  make  a 
few  pennies  by  their  sale.  The  chatter  of  the  women, 
the  cries  of  men  and  animals,  an  occasional  quarrel 
between  two  noisy  Italians,  ending  in  furious  vocifer- 


182  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

ations  and  gesticulations,  all  add  to  tne  Babel  of  sound. 
One  little  marmoset  put  his  hand  into  that  of  the  au- 
thor, looking  so  appealingly  into  his  face  that,  ima- 
gining the  little  fellow  might  be  hungry,  some  nice 
edibles,  calculated  to  rejoice  the  monkey  heart,  were 
promptly  purchased  and  gratefully  received  by  the 
marmoset,  which,  in  his  eager  haste  to  consume  the 
same,  stuffed  the  sides  of  either  jaw  to  alarming  pro- 
portions. The  little  creature  was  wonderfully  hu- 
man, and  having  found  a  kindly  disposed  stranger, 
insisted  upon  keeping  one  of  his  tiny  hands  in  our 
own,  while  he  rapidly  filled  his  mouth  with  the 
other. 

It  is  interesting  to  observe  the  artistic  manner  in 
which  the  native  women,  Indians  and  blacks,  mingle 
and  arrange  the  various  fruits  and  vegetables,  show- 
ing a  natural  instinct  for  the  harmonious  blending  of 
colors  and  forms.  A  pile  of  yellow  oranges,  green 
limes,  and  mangoes  had  a  base  of  buff -colored  bananas 
picturesquely  arranged  with  all  the  pointed  ends  of 
the  finger-like  fruit  outward,  while  a  luscious  ripe 
pineapple  formed  the  apex  of  the  pile,  set  off  jauntily 
by  its  cactus-like,  prickly  leaves.  On  the  borders  of 
the  market  and  along  the  iron  railing  of  Palace 
Square,  black-haired,  bareheaded  Italian  women  dis- 
played cheap  jewelry,  imitation  shell,  gilded  combs, 
and  other  fancy  trinkets  for  sale,  embracing  priestly 
knick-knacks,  ivory  crosses,  crucifixion  scenes,  coral 
beads,  high-colored  ribbons,  and  gaudy  kerchiefs. 
The  bronzed  faces  of  these  black-eyed,  gypsy-like 


THE  FISH  MARKET.  183 

women  were  very  cadaverous,  as  though  the  land  of 
their  adoption  did  not  particularly  agree  with  them.  It 
seems  hardly  possible  that  these  peddlers  could  gain  a 
livelihood  trading  in  these  tawdry  and  utterly  useless 
articles  among  such  a  humble,  impecimious  class  of 
customers  as  frequent  the  market,  and  yet  their  nu- 
merous wide-open,  shallow  tin  boxes  showed  a  consid- 
erable stock  of  goods. 

The  fish  market  is  a  curious  sight  in  the  variety  of 
colors  and  shapes  afforded  by  the  inhabitants  of  the 
neighboring  bay,  where  most  of  them  are  caught. 
What  an  array  of  finny  monsters !  —  rock-fish,  large 
as  halibut,  ray,  skates,  craw-fish,  cuttle-fish,  and 
prawns  half  as  large  as  lobsters,  together  with  devil-fish 
and  oysters.  Funny  idea,  but  these  oysters,  many  of 
them,  are  grown  on  trees  !  How  is  this  possible?  Let 
us  tell  you.  The  mangrove  trees  line  the  water's  edge ; 
many  of  the  branches  overhang  the  sea,  and  are  sub- 
merged therein.  To  these  young  oysters  affix  them- 
selves, and  there  they  live  and  thrive.  The  same 
phenomenon  'was  observed  by  the  author  some  years 
ago  in  Cuba.  These  oysters  are  found  in  small  cor- 
rugated shells  scarcely  larger  than  a  good-sized  Eng- 
lish walnut,  which  they  somewhat  resemble. 

In  the  fish  market  one  sees  some  very  original  char- 
acters among  the  negro  women  who  preside  over  the 
finny  tribe.  They  are  large,  good-natured  creatures, 
quick  at  a  trade,  and  quite  intelligent.  We  recall  one, 
who  was  a  prominent  figure  among  her  companions. 
She  was  tall,  ^rtly,  and  strong  as  a  horse.     Her  head 


184  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

was  decked  with  a  bandanna  kerchief  of  many  colors, 
her  flat  nose  and  protruding  lips  indicating  close 
African  relationship.  Secured  behind  one  of  her  ears 
was  a  cigarette,  while  a  friction  match  protruded  from 
the  other,  ready  for  use.  Her  coarse  calico  dress,  of 
deep  red,  was  covered  in  front  by  a  brown  linen  apron 
extending  nearly  to  her  bare  feet.  Her  xmcovered 
arms  were  about  as  large  as  a  man's  legs.  This 
negress  dressed  the  several  kinds  of  fish  with  the  facil- 
ity of  an  expert,  making  change  for  her  patrons  with 
commendable  promptness,  and  dismissing  them  with 
a  good-natured  smile,  adding  some  remark  which  was 
pretty  sure  to  elicit  hearty  laughter. 

As  we  stood  viewing  these  things,  a  noisy  feUow 
made  himself  very  obnoxious  to  every  person  whom  he 
met.  He  had  evidently  been  too  often  to  the  neigh- 
boring spirit-shops.  A  police  officer  arrested  the  man 
by  touching  him  lightly  on  the  shoulder  and  saying  a 
few  words  to  him ;  then,  pointing  ahead,  made  the  fel- 
low precede  him  to  the  lock-up.  Though  this  disturber 
of  the  peace  was  half  drunk,  he  knew  too  much  to  resist 
an  officer,  which  is  considered  to  be  a  heinous  offense 
and  is  severely  punished  in  Rio.  It  was  natural  to 
contrast  this  scene  with  the  violent  resistance  offered 
by  offenders  with  whom  the  police  of  New  York  and 
Boston  have  often  to  deal. 

The  streets  of  Rio,  at  all  times  of  the  day,  present  a 
motley  crowd  of  half -naked  negroes,  overladen  don- 
keys, lazy  Portuguese,  Italian,  and  Spanish  loafers, 
smoking  cheap  cigars,  with  here  and  there  a  Jew  hawk- 


STREET  AND  SOCIAL  LIFE.  185 

ing  articles  of  personal  wear,  women  with  various  heavy 
articles  upon  their  heads,  water  carriers,  vociferous 
sellers  of  confectionery,  all  moving  hither  and  thither, 
each  one  intent  upon  his  or  her  individual  inter- 
est and  oblivious  of  all  others.  The  background  to 
this  kaleidoscopic  picture  is  the  low,  stucco-finished 
houses,  painted  in  lively  red,  yellow,  or  blue,  inter- 
spersed here  and  there  by  bas-reliefs,  the  whole  re- 
flecting the  rays  of  a  torrid  sun.  Though  it  is  all 
quite  different,  yet  somehow  it  recalls  the  narrow, 
crowded  streets  and  bazaars  of  Cairo  and  Alexandria. 
It  is  very  natural,  in  passing,  to  regard  with  interest 
those  screened  balconies,  and  to  imagine  what  the  lives 
may  be  of  the  half  orientally  excluded  women  within 
them,  while  occasionally  catching  limainous  glances 
from  curious  eyes.  The  notes  of  a  guitar,  or  those  of 
the  piano,  often  reach  the  ear  of  the  passer-by,  some- 
times accompanied  by  the  ringing  notes  of  a  song,  for 
the  ladies  of  Brazil  are  extremely  fond  of  music;  in- 
deed, it  seems  to  be  almost  their  only  distraction.  Of 
books  they  know  very  little,  and  any  literary  reference 
is  to  them  like  speaking  in  an  unknown  tongue.  Even 
the  one  poet  of  Portugal,  Camoens,  appears  to  be  a 
stranger  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic.  The  isolation 
and  want  of  intellectual  resort  among  the  average 
women  of  this  country  are  a  sad  reality,  and  are  in  a 
degree  their  excuse  for  some  unfortunate  indulgences 
and  immoralities,  domestic  unfaithfulness  being  as 
common  here  as  in  Paris  or  Vienna. 

The  majority  of  the  Brazilian  women  marry  at  or 


186  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

before  the  age  of  sixteen,  and  become  old,  as  we  use 
the  term,  at  thirty.  The  climate  and  the  cares  of 
maternity  together  age  them  prematurely.  In  early 
youth,  and  imtil  they  have  reached  twenty  three  or 
four  years,  they  are  almost  universally  very  handsome, 
but  this  beauty  is  not  retained,  as  is  often  the  case 
among  the  sex  in  colder  climes.  Of  their  charms,  it 
must  be  honestly  admitted  that  they  are  almost  purely 
physical  (animal);  the  beauty  which  high  culture  im- 
parts to  the  features,  by  informing  the  mind  and  de- 
veloping the  intellect,  is  not  found  as  a  rule  among 
Brazilian  women.  Of  course  there  are  some  delight- 
ful and  notable  exceptions  to  this  conclusion,  but  we 
speak  of  the  women,  generally,  of  what  is  termed  the 
better  class.  Now  and  then  one  meets  with  ladies 
who  have  been  educated  in  the  United  States,  or  in 
Europe,  upon  whom  early  and  refined  associations 
have  left  an  unmistakable  impress.  The  superiority 
of  such  is  at  once  manifest,  both  in  general  ease  of 
manner,  and  the  inexplicable  charm  which  high  breed- 
ing imparts. 

One  searches  in  vain  for  a  fidl-faced,  well-devel- 
oped, hearty  looking  man,  among  the  natives  in  the 
streets  of  this  capital.  The  average  people,  both  high 
and  low,  are  sallow,  undersized,  and  cadaverous. 
Sunken  cheeks  and  thin  figures  are  the  rule  among 
the  men,  a  passing  North  American  or  Englishman 
only  serving  to  furnish  a  strong  and  suggestive  con- 
trast. These  people  have  brilliantly  expressive  eyes, 
with  handsome  teeth  and  mouths,  though  half  shriv- 


THE  ROMISH  CHURCH.  187 

eled  up  and  undeveloped  in  body.  If  one  pauses  to 
analyze  the  matter,  he  comes  to  the  conclusion  that 
vice  and  short  commons,  unwholesome  morals  and  an 
unwholesome  climate,  have  much  to  do  with  this  pre- 
vailing appearance,  which  must  be  in  part  hereditary, 
to  be  so  universal,  commencing  some  way  back  and 
increasing  with  the  generations.  As  in  Mexico,  gen- 
tlemen meeting  on  the  streets  of  Rio  hug  each  other 
with  both  arms,  at  the  same  time  inflicting  two  or  three 
quick,  earnest  slaps  with  the  flat  of  the  hand  upon  the 
back.  This  is  perhaps  after  an  absence  of  a  few 
days ;  but  if  they  meet  ten  times  a  day,  off  come  their 
hats,  and  they  shake  hands  with  the  most  earnest  dem- 
onstrations, both  at  meeting  and  at  parting.  Kissing 
on  both  cheeks  is  common  enough  in  many  parts  of 
Europe  among  society  people,  but  this  hugging  busi- 
ness between  men  meeting  upon  the  public  streets 
strikes  one  as  a  waste  of  the  raw  material. 

It  goes  without  saying  that  the  popular  religion 
of  Rio  Janeiro  and  the  country  at  large  is  that  of 
the  Romish  Church,  though  all  denominations  are  tol- 
erated by  the  laws  of  the  republic.  In  some  districts 
it  is  the  same  here  as  in  Mexico  and  continental 
Spain,  the  Protestants  being  persecuted  in  every  pos- 
sible manner.  Nevertheless,  the  power  of  the  priest- 
hood, we  were  creditably  informed,  is  on  the  wane. 
They  owe  the  loss  of  it  in  a  great  measure  to  the  gross 
abuse  of  their  positions  and  their  shamefully  immoral 
lives.  No  one  conversant  with  the  true  state  of  the 
case,  be  he  Protestant  or  Romanist,  can  deny  this 


188  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

statement.  The  author  thought  that  the  Roman 
Catholic  priests  of  Mexico  were  about  as  wicked  a  set 
of  men  as  he  had  ever  met  with,  taken  as  a  whole, 
but  further  experience  in  South  America  has  con- 
vinced him  that  the.  Mexican  priesthood  have  their 
equals  in  immorality  in  Brazil,  and  elsewhere  south 
of  Panama.  The  popular  religion  of  the  country  is 
one  of  the  saddest  features  of  its  national  existence, 
forming  the  great  drag-weight  upon  its  moral,  and 
indirectly  upon  its  physical  progress. 

The  Botanical  Garden  of  Rio  is  a  justly  famous 
resort,  situated  about  six  miles  from  the  city,  behind 
the  Corcovada,  between  that  mountain  and  the  sea,  but 
it  is  easily  reached  by  tramway,  or  better  still  by  a 
delightful  drive  along  the  shore  of  Botafogo  Bay, 
over  a  road  shaded  by  imperial  palms,  together  with 
occasional  clusters  of  the  ever  beautiful  bamboo,  the 
sight  of  which  recalled  the  luxuriant  specimens  seen 
in  Japan  and  Sumatra.  The  nearest  approach  to  this 
admirable  public  garden  is  to  be  found  at  Kandy,  in 
the  island  of  Ceylon,  which,  as  we  remember  it,  is 
considerably  more  extensive,  and  presents  a  larger 
variety  of  tropical  vegetation.  The  examples  of  the 
india-rubber  tree,  especially,  are  finer  in  the  Asiatic 
garden  than  we  find  them  at  Rio.  A  tall,  slim- 
stemmed  sloth-tree,  straight  as  an  arrow,  and  bare 
of  branches  or  leaves  except  at  the  top,  was  pointed 
out  to  us  here.  It  is  so  called  because  it  is  the  favor- 
ite resort  of  that  animal.  This  creature  is  very  easily 
captured,  and  the  natives  are  fond  of  its  meat,  which 


VARIOUS   TREES.  189 

may  be  nutritious,  but  it  can  hardly  be  called  pala- 
table. As  it  is  almost  entirely  a  vegetable-feeding 
animal,  we  know  not  why  there  should  be  any  objection 
to  the  meat  it  produces.  The  sloth  climbs  up  into 
the  taU  branches  of  the  tree  described,  though  it  does 
so  with  considerable  difficulty,  and  there  remains  until 
it  has  consumed  every  leaf  and  tender  shoot  which  it 
bears ;  then  the  voracious  creature  wanders  off  to  find 
and  denude  another. 

The  bread-fruit  tree  is  interesting,  with  its  hand- 
some feathery  leaves,  and  its  large,  melon- shaped 
product.  It  grows  to  fifty  feet  in  height,  and  bears 
fruit  constantly  for  three  quarters  of  the  year,  then 
takes  a  three  months'  rest.  It  is  only  equaled  in  the 
profuseness  of  its  product  by  the  banana,  forming  one 
of  the  staple  sources  of  food  supply  to  the  lazy,  indo- 
lent denizens  of  tropical  regions.  The  candelabra- 
tree,  with  its  silver-tinted  foliage,  is  one  of  the  beau- 
ties of  this  charming  Brazilian  garden.  Among  other 
notable  trees  are  fine  specimens  of  the  camphor-tree, 
the  tamarind,  the  broad-spreading  mango,  opulent 
in  fruitfulness,  the  flowering  magnolia,  also  the  soap- 
tree,  with  its  saponaceous  berries.  The  cochineal 
cactus  was  thriving  after  its  kind,  near  by  what  is 
called  the  cow-tree,  which  interests  one  quite  as  much 
as  any  of  its  companions,  rising  over  a  hundred  feet  in 
height,  with  a  red  bark  and  fig-like  leaves.  The  milk 
which  it  yields  is  of  cream-like  consistency,  very  sim- 
ilar to  that  from  a  cow,  and  it  may  be  used  for  any 
ordinary  purpose  to  which  we  put  that  article.     The 


190  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

tree  is  tappei,  as  we  treat  the  sugar-maple,  in  order 
to  obtain  its  very  remarkable  and  useful  product.  It 
is  nutritious,  that  is  freely  admitted ;  but  most  prob- 
ably it  has  some  medicinal  properties  of  a  latent  char- 
acter, though  of  this  we  could  learn  nothing. 

The  world -famed  avenue  of  royal  palms  in  the  Bo- 
tanical Garden  of  Rio  is  unique,  being  undoubtedly 
the  finest  tropical  arboretum  in  the  world  arranged  by 
the  hand  of  man.  We  saw  here  a  delicate  little  mem- 
ber of  the  palm  family,  a  sort  of  baby  tree,  known  as 
the  small-stemmed  palm  of  Para.  Many  trees  from 
Asia  have  become  domesticated  side  by  side  with  the 
maple,  the  pine,  and  the  elm  from  New  England. 
Some  of  the  large  trees  were  decked  with  orchids  and 
hanging  lichens,  the  dainty  and  fantastic  ornamen- 
tation of  nature  herself,  not  promoted  by  artificial 
means.  The  humidity  of  the  atmosphere  especially 
facilitates  the  growth  of  this  beautiful  family  of  plants, 
which  are  as  erratic  in  shape  as  they  are  variegated 
in  prismatic  colors. 

It  would  require  a  whole  chapter  to  do  even  partial 
justice  to  this  remarkable  garden  behind  the  Corco- 
vado  mountain. 

One  sees  here  myriads  of  delicate  humming-birds, 
wonderful  animated  gems  of  color,  remarkable  in 
Brazil  for  their  metallic  hues.  Such  brilliancy  of 
lustre,  glancing  in  the  warm  sunlight,  is  fascinating 
to  behold.  The  Spaniards  call  these  delicate  little 
creatures  "winged  flowers,"  and  the  Portuguese, 
"flower-kissers."     A  lady  resident  of  Rio  told  the 


HUMMING-BIRDS.  191 

author  of  the  vain  attempt  of  a  patient  German  sci- 
entist to  domesticate  a  few  specimens  of  these  birds. 
He  commenced  by  taking  them  from  the  nest  soon 
after  they  were  hatched,  at  various  periods  of  their 
growth,  and  even  after  they  had  learned  to  fly,  but 
although  infinite  care  was  taken  to  supply  their  usual 
food,  and  also  not  to  confine  them  too  closely,  the 
naturalist  was  fain  to  acknowledge  the  impossibility 
of  accomplishing  his  object,  though  the  experiment 
extended  over  a  period  of  two  years.  The  ceaseless 
activity  of  this  frail  little  bird  renders  any  circum- 
scribing of  its  liberty  fatal  to  existence. 

Delicate,  innocent,  and  apparently  harmless  as  but- 
terflies, these  diminutive  creatures  are  often  very  pug- 
nacious, and  when  two  males  engage  in  a  contest  with 
each  other,  which  is  not  seldom  the  case,  one  or  the 
other  often  loses  his  life.  If  disturbed  during  the 
period  of  incubation,  they  will  attack  large  birds  and 
even  human  beings,  directing  their  long,  needle-like 
bills  at  the  offender's  eyes.  Our  informant  told  us  the 
particulars  of  a  man  who,  under  such  circumstances, 
came  very  near  losing  both  of  these  organs.  Scien- 
tists have  succeeded  in  preserving  over  two  hundred 
different  specimens  of  this  little  feathered  beauty, 
representing  that  mmiber  of  species  indigenous  to 
Brazil.  Some  of  these  are  only  five  or  six  times  as 
large  as  a  humble-bee.  The  artificial  flowers  already 
referred  to  as  being  for  sale  in  the  shops  of  Rio  de- 
pend almost  entirely  upon  the  humming-bird  for  their 
delicate  beauty;  no  other  feathered  creature  affords 


192  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

such  marvelous  colors  and  exquisitely  fine  materisil  for 
the  purpose.  The  best  specimens  of  this  work  are 
necessarily  expensive,  requiring,  besides  a  tndy  artistic 
taste  and  eye,  skill  of  execution,  infinite  patience,  and 
much  time,  to  produce  them.  We  saw  a  choice  design 
of  this  sort,  measuring  about  fifteen  by  twenty  inches, 
framed  imder  a  glass,  the  design  being  a  bouquet  of 
natural  flowers,  for  which  the  asking  price  was  five 
hundred  dollars  ;  four  hundred  and  fifty  had  been 
refused.  The  feathers  were  almost  entirely  from  the 
throat  and  breast  of  humming-birds,  arranged  by  a 
woman  who  had  made  this  work  the  occupation  of 
her  life  from  girlhood.  We  learned  that  such  a  piece 
of  artistic  effect  represented  nearly  a  year's  labor  ! 

One  also  finds  in  the  Rio  shops  flower-pieces  ingen- 
iously formed  from  the  scales  of  high-colored  fishes, 
as  well  as  from  the  wings  and  bodies  of  native  insects 
characterized  by  brilliant  colors,  but  these  of  course 
will  not  compare  in  delicacy  and  beauty  with  the 
products  of  the  feathers.  The  Brazilian  beetle  is  pre- 
pared in  a  myriad  of  ornamental  forms  and  in  many 
combinations,  sometimes  mingled  with  feathers.  In 
the  Rua  dos  Ourives  there  are  two  or  three  shops 
where  a  great  variety  of  such  objects  is  offered  for 
sale.  These  stores  have  also  many  choice  native 
stones  of  great  beauty,  including  the  true  Brazilian 
topaz,  for  which  there  is  a  growing  and  appreciative 
demand. 

The  idea  prevails  that  the  climate  of  Rio  is  like 
some  parts  of  Africa,  suffocatingly  hot  all  the  time, 


SANITARY  CONDITIONS.  193 

but  this  is  not  correct.  The  American  consul  told  the 
author  that  he  had  suffered  more  from  the  cold  than 
from  the  heat  in  the  environs  of  the  city,  where  his 
residence  is  in  a  rather  elevated  district.  He  declared 
that  the  temperature,  even  in  town,  was  rarely  so 
extreme  as  is  often  found  in  the  cities  of  the  United 
States.  He  believes  that  the  yellow  fever  might  be 
effectually  banished  from  Rio  by  the  adoption  of  strict 
quarantine  and  effective  sanitary  measures  in  the  city 
proper.  As  we  have  already  intimated,  consumption 
prevails  here  to  an  alarming  extent.  This  is  doubt- 
less owing  to  the  peculiar  dampness  of  the  atmosphere. 
We  found  that  statistics  show  one  half  as  many  deaths 
from  consumption  as  from  yellow  fever,  taking  the 
aggregate  of  five  years.  "The  one  disease  comes  an- 
nually in  the  heat  of  summer  only,  as  a  rule,"  said  our 
informant,  "while  the  other  prevails  more  or  less  all 
the  year  round,  year  in  and  year  out."  During  the 
two  weeks  which  the  author  stopped  at  Rio,  forty  and 
fifty  fatal  cases  of  yellow  fever  a  day  were  recorded, 
and  doubtless  more  than  that  number  actually  fell 
victims  to  its  ravages,  as  only  those  who  died  in  the 
several  hospitals  were  enumerated.  We  were  in  the 
city  in  June,  one  of  the  winter  months  in  this  lati- 
tude. Heretofore  the  fever  has  nearly  always  disap- 
peared, as  an  epidemic,  by  the  first  or  middle  of  May, 
even  in  years  when  it  has  been  most  prevalent  and 
fatal.  Notwithstanding  the  charm  of  novelty  which 
so  absorbs  the  stranger,  we  are  free  to  confess  there 
was  a  lurking  dread  of  the  subtle  enemy  which  proved 


194  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

so  swift  and  fatal  all  about  us.  Fifty  deaths  daily 
by  yellow  fever  in  a  population  exceeding  half  a  mil- 
lion only  served  to  show  that  it  still  lingered  in  a 
sporadic  form  where  the  seeds  are  perhaps  never  en- 
tirely exterminated.  It  most  readily  attacks  strangers 
and  the  unacclimated,  but  no  class  is  exempt.  The 
indigent,  careless,  drunken  portion  of  the  population 
are  no  more  liable,  we  were  informed,  to  contract  the 
disease  than  others  of  better  habits.  This  outrages 
all  preconceived  notions  of  diseases  of  this  character, 
but  we  were  assured  by  good  authority  that  it  was 
really  so.  The  day  we  left  Rio,  the  English  Bishop, 
a  most  estimable  man,  who  was  universally  respected 
and  beloved,  died  of  the  fell  disease. 

The  summer  season  begins  in  October  and  lasts  until 
April,  and  is  better  known  here  as  the  wet  season,  the 
rain  falling  with  great  regularity  nearly  every  after- 
noon, and  at  about  the  same  time.  Usually  an  hour 
of  liberal  downpour  is  experienced,  then  it  promptly 
clears  up  and  becomes  bright  and  pleasant.  The 
warmest  month  is  February.  The  winter  months  are 
May,  Jime,  July,  and  August;  this  is  the  dry  season, 
during  which  very  little  rain  falls.  The  climate  ap- 
pears to  be  particularly  injurious  to  persons  who  are 
troubled  with  a  torpid  liver.  Elephantiasis  is  indi- 
genous, but  it  is  not  very  common ;  the  few  cases  seen 
were  upon  the  streets,  and  were  those  of  negroes  who 
exposed  their  diseased  limbs  to  excite  public  pity, 
making  the  affliction  an  excuse  for  systematic  begging. 
A  score  of  such  imfortunates  were  seen  daily  in  and 


ENVIRONS   OF  RIO.  195 

about  Palace  Square,  and  one  or  two  regularly  posted 
themselves  before  the  Globe  Restaurant,  which  is  the 
Maison  Doree  of  Rio  Janeiro. 

The  well-to-do  merchants  do  not  think  of  living  in 
town,  but  select  some  pleasant  spot  in  the  environs, 
where  they  erect  picturesque  homes,  often  extremely 
attractive  to  the  eye  architecturally,  and  surrounded 
by  lovely  gardens,  containing  both  native  and  exotic 
plants  and  trees.  The  contrast  between  commercial 
and  rural  Rio  is  something  very  striking.  One  pre- 
sents all  the  grossness  and  belittling  aspect  of  money- 
getting,  the  other  the  graces,  liberality,  and  enno- 
bling appearance  of  culture  and  refinement.  Of  all 
the  trees  in  these  attractive  environs,  the  palm,  in 
its  great  variety,  challenges  one's  admiration  most. 
We  mention  it  frequently,  for  it  was  our  constant  de- 
light. At  every  turn  one  comes  upon  it,  in  its  several 
species,  —  the  cocoa-palm,  the  palmetto,  the  cabbage, 
the  assai-palm,  the  fanshaped-palm,  and  scores  of 
other  varieties.  The  hand  and  taste  of  woman  are 
seen  in  these  gardens  of  the  environs.  Flowers  are 
selected  and  arranged  as  only  feminine  taste  could  sug- 
gest, while  the  broad  piazzas  are  simply  floral  bowers 
and  gardens  of  placid  delights. 

The  province  round  about  Rio  is  beautified  and  ren- 
dered profitable  by  the  many  large  coffee  plantations, 
particidarly  attractive  when  the  well-trimmed  bushes 
are  seen  in  full  bearing,  bending  imder  the  weight  of 
red  berries.  Orange  orchards  abound,  the  branches 
of  the  trees  heavy  with  the  rich  golden  fruit ;  yet  as  an 


196  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

brange-producing  section,  Florida,  in  our  own  coun- 
try, is  fully  its  equal.  The  fruit  of  the  southern  part 
of  the  United  States  is  much  better  and  more  intelli- 
gently cidtivated,  and  is  larger  and  fairer,  than  the 
fruit  of  this  region.  We  except  Bahia,  however,  in 
this  remark;  that  is  the  very  paradise  of  oranges. 
Besides  the  abundance  of  fruits.  Flora  reigns  in  Bra- 
zil, and  near  to  Rio  bignonias,  passifloras,  variegated 
honeysuckles,  morning-glories,  magnolias,  and  or- 
chids mingle  with  the  dark  green  mango  trees  and 
the  delicate  light  green  mimosas  which  meet  the  eye 
everywhere.  It  appears  that  the  several  species  of 
flowers  have  their  special  season  for  blooming,  when 
they  are  at  their  best,  so  that  a  large  variety  is  always 
seen  in  bloom  at  all  times  in  the  year.  We  must 
confess  to  having  felt  half  lost  without  the  "Queen 
of  Flowers,"  our  grand  favorite;  but  as  to  roses,  it 
was  found  that  the  ever  present  ants  maintained 
a  fixed  hostility  to  them,  rendering  it  particularly 
difficult  to  rear  them  in  this  country.  In  all  of  the 
many  lands  we  have  visited,  the  author  has  never 
seen  such  superbly  developed  roses  as  are  produced 
iu  and  about  the  city  of  Boston.  There  is  some 
quality  in  the  climate  of  New  England,  added  to  the 
genius  of  her  famous  florists,  especially  adapted  to 
their  perfection. 

The  broad  leafed  mnbrella-tree  —  chapeo  do  sul  — 
is  often  seen  in  this  neighborhood  cultivated  as  a 
shade  tree,  both  in  town  and  country,  while  the  thick 
clustering  bamboo,    so  often  referred   to,   adds  its 


''PORTUGUESE  JOE."  197 

unique  beauty  to  the  environs  in  all  directions.  The 
banana  and  plantain,  both  cultivated  and  wild,  thrive 
hereabouts,  and  form  an  important  adjunct  to  the  food 
supply  of  all  classes.  The  banana  is  cultivated  by 
offsets,  and  is  of  rapid  growth,  coining  to  maturity  and 
bearing  fruit  a  few  months  after  it  is  planted.  Brazil 
seems  to  be  well  called  the  home  of  fruits  and  flowers. 
Has  the  reader  ever  chanced  to  hear  of  "Portu- 
guese Joe,"  of  Rio  Janeiro?  He  is  a  man  as  well 
known  in  the  capital  of  Brazil  as  the  late  emperor. 
Ostensibly  he  is  only  a  successful  shipchandler,  whole- 
sale grocer,  purveyor  —  by  appointment  —  to  the 
American  and  British  naval  ships  which  put  into  Rio, 
or  which  are  stationed  here;  but  over  and  above  his 
extensive  commercial  relations,  we  found  him  to  be  a 
Good  Samaritan.  He  is  quite  ready  for  legitimate 
business,  and  has  realized  a  handsome  fortune  by  fair 
and  honorable  dealing.  He  charges  a  reasonable 
profit  upon  the  various  supplies  which  he  furnishes, 
but  his  goods  are  exactly  what  he  represents  them  to 
be,  and  he  has  the  confidence  of  all  who  deal  with 
him.  His  establishment  grew  up  from  a  small  begin- 
ning, he  having  come  from  Portugal  to  engage  in  busi- 
ness when  only  thirteen  years  of  age.  To-day  he  is 
in  the  prime  of  life,  and  his  store  on  the  Para9a  de 
Dom  Pedro  H.  is  a  city  institution.  The  highest  offi- 
cial, the  wealthiest  bankers,  and  the  most  influential 
merchants  are  glad  to  shake  him  cordially  by  the 
hand.  Signor  J.  C.  V.  Mendes  —  the  other  title 
being  a  trade  nom  de  plume  of  long  standing  —  is  a 


198  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

gentleman  by  nature,  and  a  true  friend  to  all  strangers 
who  seek  his  counsels  on  arriving  at  Kio.  We  fortu- 
nately became  acquainted  with  Signor  Mendes  on  the 
first  day  of  our  landing,  and  are  glad  to  speak  of  his 
ready  courtesy  and  desire  to  make  all  Americans  at 
home  who  arrive  in  the  capital  of  Brazil.  It  is  no 
particidar  recommendation,  but  it  is  a  pleasure  to  say 
that,  with  his  calm,  self-possessed  manner,  his  bril- 
liant black  eyes  and  genial  smile  lighting  up  his 
bronzed  features,  he  is  unquestionably  the  handsomest 
man  whom  we  chanced  to  meet  in  Eio  Janeiro.  Manly 
beauty  is  not  an  imperative  adjunct  to  excellence,  but 
is  still  a  very  agreeable  accessory. 

One  naturally  anticipates  but  will  not  find  any  social 
distinction  as  to  race  in  this  city.  Color  opposes  no 
obstacle  to  progress  in  educational  or  official  position. 
Pupils  of  the  public  schools  meet  on  the  same  footing 
and  mingle  promiscuously.  There  is  nothing  to  pre- 
vent the  intelligent  negro  from  becoming  a  judge  or 
minister  of  state,  or  from  filling  any  high  civil  office, 
if  he  develops  proper  ability.  Many  bureaus  in  the 
public  offices  are  held  by  colored  men,  observably  in 
the  custom  house,  and  the  race  generally  is  regarded 
with  far  more  respect  than  with  us  in  the  United 
States. 

Providence  has  liberally  endowed  the  larger  portion 
of  Brazil  with  a  fertile  soil,  an  unrivaled  flora,  and 
a  delightful  climate.  For, a  tropical  country,  it  is  re- 
markably temperate  and  salubrious.  It  has  mountain 
scenery  excelling  that  of   Switzerland,    with  fertile 


PROGRESS  OF  BRAZIL.  199 

valleys  surpassing  those  of  Italy,  and  myriads  of  rivers 
affording  ample  means  of  transportation  with  natural 
and  abundant  irrigation.  Unlike  many  of  her  sister 
states,  including  those  on  the  west  coast  of  the  conti- 
nent, she  is  exempt  from  earthquakes  and  the  destruc- 
tion caused  by  devouring  tidal  waves.  While  so 
much  of  Mexico  and  thousands  of  miles  of  the  Pacific 
coast  are  scorched  by  drought,  there  are  no  districts 
of  Brazil  exempt  from  regular  and  refreshing  rains, 
the  importance  of  which  cannot  be  overestimated.  To 
crown  all 'else,  the  splendid  harbor  of  her  capital  by  its 
size,  safety,  and  beauty  invites  the  commerce  of  the 
world.  It  would  certainly  seem,  when  we  realize  all 
of  these  special  advantages,  that  nature  had  intended 
so  large  and  favored  a  portion  of  the  globe  to  ulti- 
mately be  the  home  of  a  great,  powerful,  and  prosper- 
ous nation. 

That  the  material  growth  of  Brazil  is  mainly  in  the 
right  direction  is  manifest  to  the  most  casual  observer. 
The  many  lines  of  railways  penetrating  the  country  in 
every  province  will  by  and  by  prove  to  be  effective 
means  of  development.  Wherever  the  facilities  are 
liberally  afforded,  not  only  individuals,  but  ideas,  are 
sure  to  travel,  and  social  and  material  improvement 
must  follow.  Civilization  keeps  pace  with  the  iron 
horse.  When  the  street  rails  penetrated  the  canons 
of  Utah,  polygamy  was  doomed.  Material  facts  are 
stronger  than  argmnents  of  well-meaning  moralists. 
The  establishment  of  so  many' railroads  through  the 
wilds  of  South  America  may  not  be  a  paying  matter, 


200  EQUATORIAL   AMERICA. 

it  is  not  so  at  this  writing,  but  a  great  moral  pur- 
pose, and  that  of  true  progress,  will  be  subserved  by 
them.  They  will  be  the  agents  of  enlightenment  and 
civilization  to  many  wQd  tribes  of  Indians,  at  the  same 
time  opening  broad  and  favorable  tracts  of  territory 
for  settlement  by  emigrants  from  the  crowded  and 
overstocked  states  of  Europe. 

On  the  homeward  passage,  when  we  visited  Rio 
Janeiro  for  the  second  time,  it  was  found  to  be  rife 
with  politics;  but  like  Joseph's  coat,  of  so  many  colors 
as  to  be  confusing  to  a  foreigner.  It  may  reasonably 
be  doubted  if  the  natives  themselves  clearly  under- 
stood what  they  wanted.  The  revolutionary  element 
seemed  very  strong,  and  was  led  by  men  who  had  no- 
thing to  lose  by  agitation,  but  everything  to  gain  by  a 
lawless  uprising.  The  most  intelligent  citizens  pre- 
dicted a  popular  revolution  of  some  sort  in  the  near 
future,  and  their  anticipation  proved  to  be  correct. 
Revolution  is  chronic  in  South  America. 


CHAPTER  X. 

Petropolis.  —  Summer  Residence  of  the  Citizens  of  Rio.  —  Brief 
Sketch  of  the  late  Royal  Family.  —  Dom  Pedro's  Palace.  —  A  De- 
lightful Mountain  Sanitarium.  —  A  Successful  but  Bloodless  Revo- 
lution. —  Floral  Delights.  —  Mountain  Scenery.  —  Heavy  Gam- 
bling. —  A  German  Settlement.  —  Cascatinha.  —  Remarkable 
Orchids.  —  Local  Types.  —  A  Brazilian  Forest.  —  Compensation. 

Petropolis,  —  or  the  city  of  Peter,  —  the  fash- 
ionable summer  resort  of  the  citizens  of  Rio  Janeiro, 
is  a  modem  town,  dating  only  from  1844,  and  contains 
at  that  season  of  the  year  a  population  of  some  eight 
thousand.  The  intense  heat  of  the  crowded  city  in 
the  smnmer  months,  not  to  mention  its  usually  un- 
healthy condition,  makes  even  the  acclimated  inhab- 
itants seek  a  refuge  in  the  hills.  So  long  as  the  fever 
continues  to  rage,  merchants  leave  their  famihes  here, 
and  comfe  up  nightly  to  sleep  and  breathe  the  fresh,  pure 
air.  It  is  only  on  the  coast  and  in  crowded  communi- 
ties that  epidemics  prevail.  We  were  told  by  residents 
that  a  case  of  yellow  fever  never  originated  at  Petrop- 
olis ;  that  it  was  too  elevated  for  the  citizens  to  fear 
anything  of  the  sort.  It  is  so  generally  throughout 
the  country ;  the  yellow  fever  prevails  only  in  the 
ports  and  at  sea  level,  a  pecvdiarity  also  observable  in 
Cuba  and  the  several  West  Indian  islands.  When  the 
fever  prevails,  as  it  does  annually  at  Havana  and  Ma- 


202  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

tanzas,  the  wealthy  citizens,  and  all  unacclimated  peo- 
ple who  are  able  to  do  so,  retire  inland  to  elevated 
localities,  where  they  are  comparatively  safe  from  the 
scourge.  The  same  rule  appHes  to  the  coast  cities  of 
South  America,  —  Para,  Pernambuco,  Bahia,  etc.  It 
is  a  very  important  matter  to  the  merchants  of  Rio 
that  they  have,  within  two  or  three  hours'  reach  of 
their  overheated  city  offices,  a  resort  where  they  can  sit 
in  a  dry  skin  and  sleep  in  quiet  and  comfort.  Had 
they  not  this  resort,  they  would  be  obliged  to  suc- 
cumb to  disease,  or  to  leave  Rio  for  half  of  the  year 
annually. 

Petropolis  is  situated  in  the  Organ  Mountain  range, 
about  thirty  miles  from  the  metropolis,  and  is  some- 
thing less  than  three  thousand  feet  above  tide-water. 
The  town  is  built  in  a  slight  depression  among  the 
weU-wooded  hills,  forming  a  vale  of  alpine  beauty, 
easily  reached  from  Rio  by  boat  and  rail.  The  latter 
portion  of  the  trip,  comprising  a  sharp  mountain 
ascent,  is  made  by  a  system  of  railroad  like  that  by 
which  the  summit  of  Corcovado  is  reached.  The 
popidar  route  is  to  cross  the  harbor  at  Rio  by  a  large 
and  commodious  steamboat,  a  distance  of  twelve  miles, 
and  then  to  take  the  steam-cars.  There  is  also  an- 
othet  railroad  route,  all  the  way  by  land.  The  late 
emperor's  summer  palace  is  the  prominent  feature  of 
Petropolis,  together  with  its  elaborate  gardens,  cover- 
ing some  fifteen  or  twenty  acres  of  land.  Hither 
come  the  diplomatic  representatives  of  foreign  nations 
to  enjoy  the  salubrious  mountain  air  and  the  hospita- 


DOM  PEDRO  II.  203 

ble  society  of  the  best  people  of  Rio  Janeiro,  and  to 
lay  aside  many  of  the  constraints  of  city  life.  A 
great  contrast  is  apparent  here  to  the  crowded  streets 
and  narrow  lanes  of  the  uncleanly  capital,  while  the 
air  is  undoubtedly  remarkable  for  its  healthful  and 
invigorating  qualities.  The  summer  palace  is  sur- 
rounded by  elegantly  arranged  grounds,  planted  with 
rare  flowers  and  choice  trees  from  every  clime.  In 
general  effect  it  resembles  an  old  English  country 
house,  except  for  the  tropical  vegetation,  the  fine 
verdant  lawns  of  grass,  the  only  ones  of  any  extent 
in  the  coimtry,  being  particidarly  noticeable.  This 
mountain  resort  has  been  called  the  Versailles  of 
Brazil. 

It  seems  appropriate  to  recall,  in  brief,  the  family 
history  of  the  late  emperor,  Dom  Pedro  II.,  of  whose 
favorite  abiding-place  we  are  speaking.  He  enjoyed  a 
distinguished  reputation  among  modem  rulers,  was  lib- 
eral, scholarly,  and  possessed  of  great  experience  of  men 
and  the  world  at  large.  Having  been  an  observant 
and  studious  traveler  in  many  parts  of  the  globe,  his 
endeavor  was  to  adopt  the  best  well-tried  systems  of 
other  governments  in  educational  and  other  matters 
relating  to  political  economy.  His  system  was  mild, 
progressive,  and  designed  for  the  general  good  of  the 
people  over  whom  he  presided  ;  in  fact,  it  was  too  mild 
for  the  turbulent,  unlettered  masses  of  the  provinces 
of  Brazil.  They  were  not  intellectually  prepared  for 
such  leniency. 

The  royal  family  of  Portugal  fled  hither  in  1808, 


204  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

at  the  time  of  Napoleon's  invasion  of  that  country, 
but  returned  to  Europe  in  1821.  A  national  congress 
assembled  at  Rio  Janeiro  the  next  year,  and  chose 
Dom  Pedro,  eldest  son  of  King  Joao  VI.  of  Portugal, 
"  Perpetual  Defender  of  Brazil."  He  proclaimed  the 
independence  of  the  country,  and  was  chosen  "  Con- 
stitutional Emperor."  In  1831  he  abdicated  in  favor 
of  his  only  son,  Dom  Pedro  II.,  who  reigned  as  em- 
peror until  November  15,  1889,  when  he  was  de- 
throned by  a  bloodless  revolution,  and,  together  with 
his  family,  was  exiled,  Brazil  declaring  herself  a  re- 
public under  the  title  she  now  bears  of  the  United 
States  of  Brazil.  The  feeling  was  nearly  universal 
among  the  Brazilians  that  they  desired  to  live  under  a 
republican  form  of  government,  but  Dom  Pedro  II. 
was  a  man  of  such  estimable  character,  so  just,  intelli- 
gent, and  popular  a  ruler,  that  the  revolution,  which 
finally  dethroned  him,  was  deferred  long  after  it  was 
determined  upon.  The  peaceful  manner  in  which  it 
was  finally  achieved  is  perhaps  without  precedent,  and 
shows  how  thoroughly  the  mind  of  the  active  spirits 
of  the  nation  was  made  up  to  this  end.  It  was  a  po- 
litical coup  d'Stat,  accomplished  without  the  burning 
of  an  ounce  of  gunpowder.  The  emperor  himself 
seemed  to  accept  the  position  as  a  foregone  conclusion. 
We  learned  from  persons  who  had  been  quite  inti- 
mate with  him  that  he  had  already  anticipated  the 
whole  condition  of  affairs,  foreseeing  that  it  was  in- 
evitable. If  this  is  so,  he  was  wise  as  well  as  diplo- 
matic and  humane,  for  he  had  enough  devoted  adher- 


THE  LATE  EMPEROR.  205 

ents  abdut  him  to  have  made  a  serious  though  doubt- 
less futile  conflict  for  possession.  There  are  always 
myriads  of  the  unthinking  rabble  ready  to  join  and 
even  fight  for  authority  which  is  already  established, 
especially  when  seconded,  as  was  the  case  with  Dom 
Pedro,  by  a  strong  personal  popularity. 

The  palace  at  Petropolis  is,  with  its  extensive 
grounds,  now  offered  for  sale,  the  country  having  no 
further  use  for  palaces.  It  is  understood  that  a  local 
syndicate  propose  to  purchase  the  whole  and  cut  up 
the  land  into  building  lots,  which  are  very  much  in 
demand  just  at  this  writing.  It  would  not  be  surpris- 
ing if  Petropolis  were  to  double  its  population  during 
the  next  four  or  five  years.  Speculators  are  already 
at  work  "  booming "  the  place,  and  a  summer  home 
here  is  just  what  the  Rio  merchant  requires. 

Some  queer  stories  are  told  about  the  e very-day  life 
of  Dom  Pedro  by  his  neighbors.  It  seems,  accord- 
ing to  these  reports, — for  the  truth  of  which  we  cannot 
vouch,  —  that  he  often  chose  as  his  associates  and  ad- 
visers uneducated  persons  of  very  humble  origin,  who 
had  accumulated  wealth  by  shrewdness  and  industry, 
besides  which  he  latterly  exhibited  many  very  peculiar 
traits  of  character ;  but,  as  we  say,  it  is  difficult  to  de- 
cide whether  these  stories  are  to  be  relied  upon.  It  is 
more  than  hinted  that  he  had  grown  very  weak  minded, 
or,  as  the  Scotch  say,  had  a  bee  in  his  bonnet.  At 
all  events,  it  now  appears  that  he  did  not  possess  the 
necessary  energy  and  executive  ability  requisite  to 
control  a  naturally  turbulent  and  restless  people,  and 


206  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

that  his  summary  dethronement,  so  peaceably  accom- 
plished, must  have  come  sooner  or  later. 

It  is  very  natural  to  speculate  upon  the  present 
state  of  affairs  in  this  country,  since  the  change  has 
taken  place.  To  render  a  republic  possible  and  suc- 
cessful requires  a  liberal  degree  of  intelligence  among 
the  common  people,  that  is,  the  masses  at  large.  Un- 
fortunately Brazil  cannot  boast  of  such  a  condition 
among  her  population.  The  educated,  cultured  por- 
tion of  the  community  is  quite  limited,  consequently 
the  country  is  hardly  fit  for  self-government.  Igno- 
rant masses  are  only  amenable  to  the  strong  arm,  and 
cannot,  while  untaught,  be  controlled  through  the 
influence  of  reason  and  argument.  Past  experience 
shows  us  that  while  a  republic  in  the  United  States, 
France,  or  Switzerland  means  freedom  and  order,  in 
these  half  barbaric  southern  states  it  signifies  an 
alternation  of  revolution  and  of  military  despotism. 
Subject  to  the  rule  of  Dom  Pedro,  Brazil  was  alike 
free  from  despotism  and  from  disorder,  so  that  it  may 
be  questioned  whether  his  liberal  reign  was  not,  under 
the  circumstances,  the  truest  republic  for  which  Brazil 
was  fitted.  Indeed,  while  these  lines  are  being  writ- 
ten, the  question  of  a  return  to  the  former  style  of 
government  is  openly  discussed  at  Rio  Janeiro,  where 
a  state  of  political  imbroglio  exists  very  similar  to 
the  conditions  which  caused  the  late  disastrous  civil 
war  in  Chili,  on  the  other  side  of  the  Andes.  Such  a 
shocking  outcome,  however,  need  never  be  feared  in 
Brazil  as  has  been  developed  by  the  sister   republic 


ENVIRONS   OF  THE  CITY.  207 

on  the  Pacific  coast,  since  both  intelligence  and  civ- 
ilization are  far  more  advanced  in  Brazil  than  in 
ChiH. 

The  town  of  Petropolis  and  its  neighborhood  pos- 
sesses good  roads  for  driving  purposes,  this  location 
having  been  for  several  years  the  pride  and  pleasure 
of  the  late  emperor,  who  made  the  place  what  it 
now  is  by  his  liberal  expenditures  and  the  constant 
improvements  which  he  instituted,  paying  for  them 
out  of  his  own  private  purse.  The  first  selection  of 
this  healthful  spot  was  also  his  idea,  and  he  felt  a 
personal  pride  in  doing  everything  possible  towards 
making  it  popular.  The  roads  referred  to  lead  one 
through  dehghtful  scenery  and  highly  cultivated  neigh- 
borhoods, beautified  by  art,  until  finally  they  lose 
themselves  among  the  hills  and  amidst  impenetrable 
forests.  There  are  several  fairly  good  hotels  here, 
where  the  charges  are  moderate  and  the  domestic  con- 
veniences execrable  !  The  great  variety  of  trees  to  be 
found  in  and  about  the  town  is  marvelous,  the  palm  and 
pine  prevailing,  interspersed  with  the  beautiful  fea- 
thery Brazilian  cedar.  The  tree-ferns  which  grow  here 
to  a  height  of  twelve  feet  are  great  favorites,  with  their 
bright  green  fronds,  six  feet  in  length,  almost  reach- 
ing the  ground  as  the  stalk  bends  gracefully  with  their 
weight.  The  scarlet  passion  flower  is  trained  as  an  or- 
namental creeper  in  nearly  every  garden-plot,  and  tall 
fuchsias  in  various  colors  and  pearl  white  camellias 
also  abovmd.  We  have  rarely  seen  the  camellia  in 
such  variety  of  colors,  or  such  profusion  of  flowers. 


208  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

It  is  often  found  blooming  beside  tall  coffee-trees, 
themselves  full  of  deep  green  clustering  berries,  the 
tree,  where  grown  for  ornamental  purposes,  being 
permitted  to  reach  full  proportions.  Here  one  sees 
also  a  profusion  of  the  rich  green  bamboo  in  prolific 
groves  by  the  roadside,  or  surrounding  himible  cot- 
tages, thus  forming  a  welcome  shade.  In  midsum- 
mer, so  rapid  is  the  growth  of  the  bamboo  that  every 
twenty-four  hours  adds  two  feet  to  its  height,  or  in 
other  words,  it  grows  an  inch  each  hour  throughout  the 
day  and  the  night.  Jack's  fabulous  beanstalk  hardly 
surpasses  the  bamboo,  though  the  former  is  an  amus- 
ing myth,  while  the  latter  is  simply  a  literal  fact. 
Some  very  lovely  gladioli  and  white  roses  were  noted 
as  adding  their  beauty  to  these  charming  hill  gardens 
in  the  Organ  Mountains.  So  abundant  were  the 
flowers  of  various  kinds  in  the  grounds  which  sur- 
rounded our  hotel,  that  any  one  was  welcome  to  pluck 
and  appropriate  them  to  the  extent  of  his  fancy. 
The  public  tables  were  supplied  with  fresh  ones  every 
day,  forming  great  living  pyramids  of  beautiful  colors, 
emitting  inimitable  fragrance. 

Our  hotel  was  situated  on  gently  rising  ground, 
commanding  a  considerable  view  of  the  plateau  on 
which  the  town  stands,  with  Dom  Pedro's  palace  in 
the  middle  foreground,  shaded  by  groups  of  palms. 
It  was  a  delight  to  sit  out-of-doors  and  watch  the  cloud 
effects  as  they  hung  over  the  tree-covered  hills  and 
peaks,  closing  their  ranks  now  and  again,  and  sweeping 
over  the  valley  like  a  dashing  charge  of  cavalry ;  or 


TROPICAL   TWILIGHT.  209 

cautiously  advancing  in  single  scuds  like  infantry 
deployed  as  skirmishers ;  or,  again,  mottling  the  sky 
in  white  and  peaceful  masses.  At  the  brief  twilight 
hour,  it  was  like  a  living  poem  to  note  the  varying 
sxmset  hues  creeping  along  the  valley  and  gleaming 
through  the  branches  of  the  grand  old  trees  which 
broke  the  sky-line  of  the  mountains,  and  the  soft  lilac 
blush  of  the  sky,  like  a  profile  in  silhouette,  with 
sharp  curves  and  infinite  detail.  A  deep,  broad  gulch, 
opening  towards  the  west,  afforded  a  lingering  view 
of  the  golden,  crimson,  and  pink  horizon,  long  after 
the  day  had  closed,  and  until  the  stars  gleamed  forth 
through  the  transparent  atmosphere  and  glorified  the 
advent  of  night. 

This  is  nature  in  her  happy  moods.  A  little  later, 
to  these  exquisite  delights  of  the  moment,  an  ugly  ob- 
verse presents  itself.     "  Only  man  is  vile." 

From  opposite  the  open  window  where  we  sit  pen- 
ning these  lines,  —  it  is  a  Sabbath  evening,  —  there 
comes  the  sharp  rattle  of  diceboxes  and  billiard  balls, 
together  with  the  loud,  angry  talk  of  persons  engaged 
at  gambling  games  of  cards,  interrupted  by  the  re- 
peated cries  of  the  presiding  genius  of  the  roulette 
table  :  "  Make  your  game,  signors,  make  your  game," 
as  he  coolly  rakes  in  the  winnings  of  the  bank.  Italian, 
French,  English,  and  Spanish  adventurers  mingle 
their  jargon  with  Portuguese  in  the  noisy  throng  who 
crowd  the  gambling  "hell."  It  was  said  that  sev- 
enteen thousand  dollars  were  won  by  a  Portuguese 
gentleman,  last  evening,  in  this  "  casino  "  just  across 


210  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

the  street,  so  losers  to  a  like  amount,  on  the  same 
occasion,  must  have  been  rendered  half  desperate. 
The  wretchedly  demoralizing  effect  of  gambling  is 
apparent  throughout  all  the  cities  of  this  republic, 
the  common  lotteries  tempting  the  mass  of  the  people, 
and  various  games  of  chance  others  who  have  money 
to  risk. 

Petropolis  is  extremely  attractive  in  many  respects, 
the  scenery  round  about  it  very  much  resembling  that 
of  Switzerland.  The  broad  streets  are  lined  with  such 
pretty  villas  and  attractive  gardens  that  one  falls  to 
making  romantic  pictures  of  possible  delightful  things 
which  might  naturally  happen  in  them,  and  is  led  to 
peer  into  nooks  and  corners  with  a  prying  earnestness 
amounting  almost  to  impertinence.  These  avenues 
contain  in  their  centres  deep  canals,  thirty  or  forty 
feet  wide,  having  granite  linings  and  the  upper  portion 
of  the  banks  neatly  sodded  with  grass.  Through  these 
canals  the  water  from  the  surrounding  hills  flows  in  a 
pure,  rapid  stream,  carrying  away  the  drainage  of  the 
town,  which  is  emptied  into  them  by  underground 
conduits.  These  water-ways  are  crossed  by  numerous 
small  but  substantial  bridges,  painted  scarlet,  while 
the  rushing  river  imparts  a  delightful  coolness. 

The  largest  portion  of  the  permanent  inhabitants  of 
Petropolis  is  composed  of  Germans,  whose  native 
tongue  is  heard  on  all  sides,  while  the  familiar  clatter 
of  wooden  shoes  speaks  of  Berlin,  Dresden,  and  other 
German  continental  centres.  The  rosy-cheeked,  flaxen- 
haired,  blue-eyed  children  are  also  prima  facie  evidence 


LOCAL  SCENES.  211 

of  the  prevailing  nationality,  though  there  are  a  large 
number  of  Italians  who  reside  here.  The  latter  keep 
small  shops  and  are  peddlers  of  fruit,  or  marble  cutters 
and  stucco  workers,  while  many  others  find  employ- 
ment as  gardeners. 

The  highway  to  a  certain  mining  district  passes 
through  the  town,  and  many  donkeys  laden  with  inland 
products  are  constantly  to  be  seen  in  the  streets  en 
route  for  Rio,  giving  the  place  a  business  aspect  hardly 
warranted  by  the  local  trade.  From  the  neighboring 
hills  charcoal  burners  drive  their  donkeys  every  morn- 
ing, laden  with  that  article  for  domestic  use  in  the 
town,  forming  picturesque  groups  on  the  pubKc  square, 
where  they  await  purchasers.  Others  bring  small-cut 
wood  from  the  hill  for  fuel,  packed  in  little,  narrow, 
toy  carts,  each  drawn  by  a  single  donkey.  Scores  of 
donkeys  bearing  tall,  widespread  loads  of  green  fod- 
der are  so  hidden  by  the  mass  of  greenery  which  they 
struggle  under,  that  none  of  the  animal  is  seen  at 
all,  leading  one  to  imagine  that  Birnam  wood  has 
literally  come  to  Dunsinane.  These  animals  are  al- 
most always  attended  by  women,  who  sell  the  fodder 
in  the  market  and  return  home  at  night  with  such 
domestic  necessities  as  are  required.  Women  are  the 
laborers  here,  as  at  home  in  Germany,  where  they 
perform  the  hard  work,  while  their  husbands  guzzle 
beer  and  smoke  endless  tobacco. 

Petropolis  is,  as  we  have  said,  steadily  growing,  but 
the  banishment  of  the  emperor  will  retard  its  progress, 
as  it  takes  from  the  town  its  strongest  element  of  as- 


212  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

sured  success.  We  counted  about  a  score  of  fine,  large 
residences  in  course  of  construction.  The  climate 
here  is  like  that  of  June  in  New  England,  and  the 
verdure  of  the  trees  is  perennial. 

There  is  a  charming  excursion  which  strangers 
rarely  fail  to  enjoy,  namely,  to  a  place  familiarly 
known  as  the  Cascades.  The  village  adjoining  these 
falls  is  called  Cascatinha,  and  is  situated  in  the  lap 
of  the  Organ  Mountains,  about  five  miles  from  Pe- 
tropoKs.  The  road  thither  leads  along  the  side  of  a 
small  but  boisterous  stream,  which  gladdens  the  ear 
with  its  merry,  gurgling  notes,  past  lowly,  thatched 
cottages,  orange  orchards,  bamboo  and  banana  groves, 
and  green  breadths  of  well  -  cultivated,  undulating 
land,  finally  ending  in  the  midst  of  a  panorama  of 
bold  mountain  peaks,  lovely  with  varied  gradations  of 
tint,  and  subtlest  effects  of  light  and  shade.  Here 
the  abimdant  water  furnished  by  the  river,  which  is 
artificially  adapted  to  the  purpose,  forms  a  series  of 
cascades  and  falls,  at  the  same  time  furnishing  the 
motive  power  for  operating  extensive  cotton  and 
woolen  mills,  which  give  employment  to  several  hun- 
dred men  and  women.  A  very  humble  type  of  life 
mingles  hereabouts  with  that  of  a  much  more  refined 
character.  Naked  or  haK-clad  children  are  seen  here 
and  there  playing  with  those  who  are  comparatively 
well  dressed.  Nice  cottage  homes  adjoin  those  of  the 
poorest  class.  Children  of  both  sexes  are  observed, 
only  partially  covered  with  rags,  who  are  endowed  with 
a  loveliness  of  eyes  and  features,  together  with  hand- 


BEAUTIFUL   ORCHIDS.  213 

some  figures,  causing  one  to  reflect  upon  the  unful- 
filled possibilities  of  such  childish  beauty. 

Men  and  women  often  bring  into  Petropolis  and 
offer  for  sale  beautiful  orchids,  which  they  find  in  the 
woods  not  far  away.  These  they  pack  in  green  leaves, 
retaining  a  piece  of  the  original  bark  or  wood  upon 
which  they  have  grown.  These  pretty  flowerings  of 
exuberant  nature  are  sold  for  a  trifling  price.  Some 
are  very  remarkable  in  form  and  color,  such  as  we  have 
never  before  chanced  to  see,  and  for  really  rare  ones 
the  finders  ask  and  receive  good  prices.  We  saw 
among  them  a  specimen  of  the  Flor  del  Espiritu  Santo, 
—  "  Flower  of  the  Holy  Spirit,"  —  to  find  which  is 
thought  to  bring  to  the  fortunate  discoverer  good  luck, 
as  well  as  a  handsome  price  for  the  orchid.  These 
women  may  have  passed  whole  days  in  their  search  of 
the  forest,  patiently  breaking  their  way  through  nearly 
impassable  jungles,  before  nature  reveals  to  them  one 
of  her  most  dainty  gems.  As  a  rule,  the  forests  are 
so  dense  that  it  is  useless  to  try  to  penetrate  them, 
except  by  following  some  beaten  route,  —  a  charcoal 
burner's  road  or  a  straggling  way  formed  by  a  water- 
course. 

We  weU  remember,  but  can  only  partially  describe, 
the  glory  and  beauty  of  the  Brazilian  primeval  forest. 
The  general  tone  of  the  color  is  brownish  rather  than 
light  green,  influenced  by  the  absence  of  strong  light, 
for  though  the  sun  is  glowing  in  the  open  country, 
here  it  is  twilight.  Not  one  direct  beam  penetrates 
the  density  of  the  foliage,  the  sombre  drapery  of  the 


214  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

woods.  At  first  one  is  awed  by  the  vast  extent  of  the 
forest,  by  the  dark,  mournful  shadows,  by  the  gigantic 
trees  reaching  so  far  heavenward,  forming  here  and 
there  gothic  arcades  of  matchless  grandeur,  and  by 
the  bewildering  variety  of  the  undergrowth.  Scarcely 
a  tree  trunk  is  seen  without  its  parasite,  green  with 
foliage  not  its  own,  "  beyond  the  power  of  botanists 
to  nimiber  up  their  tribe."  These  dense  jungles  might 
be  in  India,  or  a  bit  out  of  "  Darkest  Africa ;  "  one  is 
barred  by  an  impenetrable  wall  of  vegetation.  Where 
palms  occur,  it  is  almost  always  in  groups ;  being  a 
social  tree,  it  loves  the  company  of  its  species.  So 
with  the  bamboo,  which  is  found  in  the  more  swampy 
regions,  but  always  in  groups  of  its  own  family. 
These  damp  woods  are  the  home  of  the  orchids ;  it  is 
here  that  they  revel  in  moisture,  clinging  to  the  trunks 
of  tall,  columnar  trees,  fattening  on  decayed  portions 
of  the  bark,  but  forming  bits  of  lovely  color,  while 
about  the  stems  of  other  forest  monarchs  wind  creep- 
ing vines  of  rope-like  texture,  binding  huge  trunks  in 
a  fatal  embrace.  Their  final  strangulation  is  slow, 
but  it  is  sure,  —  only  a  question  of  time.  Lofty  trees 
bear  charming  flowers,  as  lowly  shrubs  do  in  our  north- 
em  clime.  Arborescent  ferns  vie  with  the  palms  in 
poetic  beauty,  with  their  elastic,  tufted  tops.  Bunches 
of  lilac  and  blossoms  of  snowy  whiteness  hang  in  the 
air.  Drooping  mosses  depend  like  human  hair  from 
widespread  branches,  and  soft,  velvety  moss  carpets 
the  way,  with  here  and  there  dwarf  mimosas  trailing 
beneath  the  ferns.     Long  vines  of  woody  climbers,  in 


NATURE'S   TEACHINGS.  215 

deep  olive-green,  twine  and  intertwine  among  the 
ranks  of  stout,  aged  trees,  breaking  out  at  short  dis- 
tances with  pink,  blue,  and  scarlet  buds,  rivaling  the 
color  of  the  birds  which  flash  hither  and  thither  like 
rays  of  sunlight  breaking  through  the  leafy  screen. 
Now  and  again  the  shrill  or  plaintive  notes  of  unfa- 
miliar songsters  fall  upon  the  ear,  mingling  with  the 
cooing  of  the  wood-doves  and  the  low  drone  of  the 
dragon-fly.  The  magnificent  arboreal  growth  of  these 
forests  develops  itself  into  thousands  of  strange  and 
beautiful  forms,  stimulated  by  the  constant  humidity 
of  the  high  temperature. 

The  atheist  must  feel  himself  stifled  for  breath  in 
the  tropical  forest,  and  his  fallacious  creed  challenged 
by  every  surrounding  object,  while  a  new  light  illu- 
mines his  unwilling  soul  with  irrefutable  evidences. 
The  Supreme  Being  writes  his  gospel  not  in  the  Bible 
alone,  but  upon  the  grand  old  trees,  the  lowly  flowers, 
the  fleeting  clouds,  and  upon  the  eternal  stars.  Those 
who  seek  nature  for  religious  inspil'ation  never  fail  to 
obtain  it,  untrammeled  by  the  vulgar  tenets  of  secta- 
rianism or  outraged  by  the  tinsel  of  church  forms 
and  ceremonies. 

The  observant  traveler  from  the  north  is  fain  to 
seek  some  consolation,  some  evidence  of  the  glorious 
law  of  compensation,  while  comparing  the  features  of 
these  poetical  latitudes  with  his  own  well-beloved  but 
more  prosaic  home.  He  remembers  that  if  these 
gaudy  birds  do  flout  in  vivid  colors  that  dazzle  and 
charm  the  eye,  they  have  not  the  exquisite  power  of 


216  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

song  which  inspires  our  more  soberly  clad  New  Eng- 
land favorites.  Brilliancy  of  feathers  and  sweetness 
of  song  rarely  go  together,  a  natural  fact  which  sug- 
gests a  whole  moral  essay  in  itself.  The  torrid  zone 
clothes  its  feathered  tribes  in  glowing  plimiage,  but 
the  colder  north  endows  hers  with  heart-touching  mel- 
ody. If  the  flowers  of  the  tropics  exhaust  the  hues 
of  the  prism,  attracting  us  by  the  oddity  of  their 
forms,  while  blooming  in  exuberant  abundance,  the 
sweet  and  lowly  children  of  Flora  in  higher  latitudes 
greet  the  senses  with  a  fragrance  unknown  in  equa- 
torial regions.  Joy  is  nowhere  all  of  a  piece.  Bless- 
ings, we  are  forced  to  believe,  whether  in  the  form  of 
beauty  of  color,  fragrance,  or  melody,  are  very  equally 
divided  all  over  the  world,  and  those  portions  which 
have  not  one,  as  a  rule,  are  almost  sure  to  have  the 
other.  When  we  become  eloquent  and  appreciative 
in  the  lively  enjoyment  of  scenes  in  a  new  country,  it 
is  not  always  because  they  are  more  desirable  or  more 
beautiful  than  our  own ;  it  is  the  newness  and  the  con- 
trast which  for  the  moment  so  captivate  us.  That  to 
which  we  are  accustomed,  however  grand,  becomes 
commonplace ;  we  covet  and  require  novelty  to  quicken 
the  observation.  Were  the  sun  to  rise  but  once  a 
year,  in  place  of  three  hundred  and  sixty-five  times 
every  twelve  months,  we  would  willingly  travel  thou- 
sands of  miles,  if  it  were  necessary,  to  witness  the 
glorious  phenomenon.  The  most  charming  natural 
objects  please  us  in  proportion  to  their  rarity  or  our 
unfamiliarity  with  them. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

Port  of  Santos.  —  Yellow  Fever  Scourge.  —  Down  the  Coast  to  Mon- 
tevideo. —  The   Cathedral.  —  Pamperos.  —  Domestic  Architecture. 

—  A  Grand  Thoroughfare.  —  City  Institutions.  —  Commercial  Ad- 
vantages. —  The  Opera  House.  —  The  Btdl- Fight.  —  Beggars  on 
Horseback.  —  City  Shops.  —  A  Typical  Character.  —  Intoxication. 

—  The  Campo  Santo.  —  Exports.  —  Rivers  and  Railways. 

Santos  is  the  name  of  a  commercially  important 
harbor  situated  on  the  east  coast  of  South  America 
about  three  hundred  miles  southwest  of  Rio  Janeiro, 
after  which  city  it  is  the  greatest  export  harbor  for 
coffee  in  Brazil.  Otherwise  it  is  about  as  uninter- 
esting a  spot  as  can  be  found  on  the  continent.  It 
became  a  city  so  late  as  1839,  and  contains  some 
twenty  thousand  inhabitants.  Its  annual  export  of 
coffee  will  reach  an  aggregate  of  two  hundred  and 
twenty -five  thousand  sacks.  The  bay  is  surrounded 
by  a  succession  of  hills,  and  is  well  sheltered,  except  on 
the  southwest.  The  town  is  situated  on  the  west  side 
of  the  harbor,  and  hugs  the  shore,  many  of  the  houses 
being  built  upon  piles.  Behind  the  town  to  the  west- 
ward rises  a  succession  of  mountain  ranges.  The  im- 
mediately surrounding  country  is  low  and  malarial, 
causing  fevers  to  prevail  all  the  year  round.  During 
the  present  season  Santos  has  suffered  more  seriously 
from  yellow  fever  than  any  other  place  on  the  coast 


218  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

in  proportion  to  the  number  of  its  inhabitants.  As  a 
commercial  port  it  has  no  rival  in  southern  Brazil. 
Santa  Catharina,  Porto  Alegre,  and  Rio  Grande,  the 
three  harbors  south  of  Santos,  are  rendered  inacces- 
sible for  any  but  small  craft,  owing  to  sandbars  at 
their  entrances. 

This  is  the  present  terminus  of  the  United  States 
and  Brazil  Mail  steamship  route  from  New  York,  and 
notwithstanding  its  many  drawbacks  in  point  of  san- 
itary conditions,  is  yet  growing  rapidly  in  commercial 
importance.  Its  wretchedly  unhealthy  condition  causes 
one  to  hasten  away  to  the  more  elevated  country, 
where  St.  Paul  is  situated,  and  where  the  traveler 
runs  little  or  no  risk  of  contracting  yellow  fever  or 
malarial  affections  of  any  sort. 

Santos  is  the  port  for  St.  Paul,  with  which  it  is 
connected  by  rail,  and  from  which  it  is  separated  by 
about  forty  miles. 

This  capital  of  the  state  of  Sao  Paulo,  St.  Paul, 
contains  some  ninety  thousand  inhabitants.  The  prov- 
ince is  credited  with  a  million  and  a  half.  The  city 
lies  just  under  the  tropic  of  Capricorn,  southwest  of 
Rio,  about  two  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
sea,  upon  a  high  ridge,  covering  an  elevated  plateau 
of  undulating  hills.  It  enjoys  the  sunshine  of  the 
tropics,  modified  by  the  freshness  of  the  temperate 
zone.  It  is  venerable  in  years,  having  been  founded 
in  1554,  but  it  seems  to  have  taken  a  fresh  start  of 
late,  as  its  population  has  doubled  in  the  last  decade. 
As  intimated,  it  is  entirely  free  from  yellow  fever. 


A    THRIVING   CITY.  219 

which  is  so  fatal  at  Santos,  and  has  excellent  drinking 
water,  together  with  good  drainage  and  well-paved 
streets.  The  city  contains  some  fine  public  buildings, 
and  has  many  handsome  adornments,  being  largely 
peopled  by  North  Americans  and  English ;  the  former 
prevail  in  numbers  and  influence,  indeed,  it  has  been 
called  the  American  city  of  Brazil.  There  is  also  a 
large  Italian  colony  settled  here.  St.  Paul  has  a 
good  system  of  tramways,  several  Protestant  churches, 
and  a  number  of  educational  and  charitable  public 
institutions,  together  with  many  of  the  attractions  of 
a  much  larger  capital.  Among  the  popidar  amuse- 
ments, the  theatre  of  San  Jose  is  justly  esteemed,  and 
is  a  well-appointed  establishment  in  all  of  its  belong- 
ings. There  are  two  spacious  public  gardens,  em- 
bellished with  grottoes,  fountains,  choice  trees,  and 
flowers,  while  the  private  gardens  attached  to  the 
dwellings  are  numerous  and  tastefid. 

In  the  district  round  about  the  city  venomous  ser- 
pents are  frequently  met  with,  whose  bite  is  as  dan- 
gerous as  that  of  the  rattlesnakes  of  our  northern 
climate.  As  the  land  is  cleared  and  cultivated,  they 
naturally  and  rapidly  disappear.  These  reptiles  fear 
man,  and  avoid  his  vicinity  quite  as  earnestly  as 
human  beings  avoid  them.  It  is  only  when  they  are 
molested,  trodden  upon,  or  cornered,  as  it  were,  that 
they  attack  any  one. 

The  city  is  connected  with  Rio  Janeiro  by  a  railway, 
and  two  other  railroads  run  from  it  far  inland. 
The  Rio  and  St.  Paul  railway  is  fairly  equipped,  but 


220  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA.  ' 

the  roadbed  is  not  properly  ballasted,  and  consequently 
one  rides  over  the  route  in  a  cloud  of  dust,  while  suf- 
fering from  the  oscillations  and  jolting  of  the  cars. 
This  railway,  however,  is  one  of  the  most  successful 
and  profitable  in  the  republic.  It  is  some  three  hun- 
dred miles  in  length,  and  passes  through  a  dozen  or 
more  tunnels,  one  of  which  is  a  mile  and  a  haK  in 
length.  This  tunnel  required  seven  years'  labor  be- 
fore it  was  passable.  There  is  just  now  a  great 
"boom"  of  land  values  in  and  about  St.  Paul.  It 
is  towards  this  state  that  the  tide  of  Italian  emigra- 
tion is  largely  directed,  for  some  reason  which  we  do 
not  comprehend,  but  it  is  probably  stimulated  by  a 
combined  effort  to  this  effect. 

The  passage  southward  from  Rio  Janeiro  or  Santos 
to  Montevideo  occupies  about  five  days,  but  a  large 
amount  of  rougn  ocean  experience  is  generally  crowded 
into  that  brief  period,  added  to  which  the  coasting 
steamers  are  far  from  affording  the  ordinary  comforts 
so  desirable  at  sea.  Of  the  food  supplied  to  passengers 
one  does  not  feel  inclined  to  complain,  because  a  person 
embarking  upon  these  lines  does  so  knowing  what  to 
expect;  but  as  regards  the  domestic  conveniences  and 
cleanliness  generally,  there  is  no  excuse  for  their 
defective  character.  We  are  sorry  to  say  that  the 
class  of  Portuguese  and  Spaniards  one  encounters 
on  these  coasting  vessels  is  far  from  decently  cleanly 
in  daily  habits,  carelessly  adding  to  the  unsanitary 
conditions. 

The  wind  in  these  latitudes  is  not  only  inclined  to 


THE  PAMPERO.  221 

be  fierce,  but  it  usually  goes  entirely  round  the  com- 
pass at  least  once  or  twice  during  the  voyage,  and  is 
more  than  Kable  to  wind  up,  off  the  mouth  of  the 
river  Plate,  with  a  regular  and  furious  pampero. 
This  is  a  hurricane  wind,  which  is  born  in  the  gorges 
of  the  Andes,  and  thence  pursuing  its  course  over 
nearly  a  thousand  miles  of  level  pampas,  gains  speed 
and  power  with  every  league  of  progress.  The  season 
in  which  these  hurricanes  —  for  in  their  fury  they 
deserve  to  be  thus  designated  —  prevail,  is  from 
March  to  September,  but  they  are  liable  to  come  at 
any  time.  The  wind  is  considered  by  the  people  of 
Montevideo  to  be  wholesome  and  invigorating,  as  far 
as  the  land  is  concerned,  but  seamen  dread  it  on  ship- 
board, and  call  it  a  Plate  River  hurricane.  We 
know  of  no  more  disagreeable  roadstead  than  that  of 
Montevideo,  when  a  pampero  is  blowing.  We  have 
seen  ships  under  these  circumstances,  with  two  an- 
chors down,  obliged  to  resort  to  the  use  of  oil  on  the 
sea,  to  prevent  themselves  from  being  swamped. 
Though  the  inhabitants  represent  a  pampero  to  be  com- 
paratively harmless  on  the  land,  yet  it  does  sometimes 
commit  fearful  havoc  there  also,  especially  among  the 
unprotected  herds  of  wild  cattle  on  the  plains,  and 
upon  all  trees  or  plantations  which  lie  in  its  devastat- 
ing course.  It  is  true  that  it  brings  with  it  a  brac- 
ing and  life-giving  atmosphere  from  the  snow-capped 
Andes  far  away,  and  if  it  cotdd  only  do  so  with  less 
forceful  demonstration,  it  would  be  a  welcome  visitor 
in  the  heated  days  of  these  regions. 


222  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

The  most  direct  way  to  illustrate  what  these  South 
American  pampas  are  is  to  compare  them  to  the  vast 
prairies  of  our  Western  and  Southwestern  States.  Any 
one  familiar  with  those  far-reaching,  horizon-bounded 
plains  knows  what  the  pampas  of  the  Argentine  Re- 
public are  like.  Beginning  near  the  foothills  of  the 
Cordilleras,  in  their  very  shadow,  as  it  were,  these 
smoothed  out,  level  lands  extend  hundreds  of  miles 
eastward  to  the  great  estuary  of  the  Plate  River,  on 
the  borders  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  Though  appar- 
ently sterile,  the  soil  of  the  pampas,  like  the  dry,  baked 
land  of  Australia,  only  requires  irrigation  and  cidti- 
vation  to  rival  the  most  attractive  valleys  of  Southern 
Europe.  It  is  believed  by  scientists  that  these  plains 
were  once  covered  by  a  broad  inland  sea,  connected 
directly  with  the  Atlantic.  In  their  present  condition 
these  pampas  can  hardly  be  called  barren,  since  they 
give  excellent  grazing  for  extensive  herds  of  wild 
cattle,  which  thrive  and  fatten  upon  the  abundance 
of  coarse,  natural  grass,  similar  to  what  is  known 
as  bunch  grass  in  Texas  and  New  Mexico.  This 
product  ripens  and  makes  itself  into  standing  hay, 
retaining  its  natural  vitality  and  nutritious  qualities 
throughout  months  of  atmospheric  exposure.  After 
being  close-cropped  by  the  roving  herds  of  cattle, 
the  bimch  grass  renews  itself,  reproducing  in  great 
abundance. 

Montevideo,  the  capital  of  Uruguay,  is  situated  on 
the  remarkable  estuary  of  the  Plate  River,  —  Rio  de 
la  Plata,  or  "Silver  River,"  —  whose  spacious  mouth 


ESTUARY  OF  THE  PLATE.  223 

is  marked  by  two  capes,  Santa  Maria  and  San  An- 
tonio, more  than  one  hundred  miles  apart.  Only  a 
nautical  observation  will  show  just  where  the  line  of 
ocean  ceases  and  that  of  the  estuary  begins.  The 
unobservant  passenger  believes  himself  still  sailing 
upon  the  broad  ocean  tmtil  he  finally  sights  the  land 
on  which  the  city  stands.  The  flag  of  Uruguay  fly- 
ing from  various  crafts  —  blue  and  white,  in  alternate 
stripes,  with  a  glowing  sun  in  the  upper  corner  near 
the  staff  —  indicates  the  near  approach  to  the  land  it 
represents. 

On  the  island  of  Flores,  fifteen  miles  from  Monte- 
video, there  are  a  lighthouse  and  quarantine  station. 
The  island  is  formed  by  a  rocky  upheaval,  not  over 
twenty  feet  above  sea  level,  measuring  about  a  mile  in 
length  and  two  or  three  hundred  yards  in  width.  The 
fierce  pamperos  render  the  navigation  of  this  estuary 
oftentimes  precarious.  When  approaching  the  broad 
river's  mouth  from  the  north,  sailors  know  that  it  is 
near  at  hand,  long  before  land  is  seen,  by  the  color  of 
the  water,  which  comes  forth  in  such  immense  volume 
as  to  impart  a  distinct  yellow  hue  to  the  ocean  for  a 
long  distance  from  the  coast.  This  effect  is  said  to  be 
discernible  one  himdred  miles  off  the  shore,  but  thirty 
or  forty  miles  will  perhaps  be  nearer  the  truth,  and 
is  at  the  same  time  a  statement  answering  all  legit- 
imate purposes.  The  tide  about  the  estuary  is  mostly 
governed  by  the  wind,  and  so  up  the  river,  showing 
no  regularity  in  its  rise  and  fall.  The  current  of  the 
Plate  opposite  Montevideo  runs  at  the  rate  of  about 


224  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

three  miles  an  hour.  In  extent,  this  ranks  as  the  third 
great  river  of  the  world,  draining,  with  its  affluents, 
eight  hundred  thousand  square  miles  of  territory;  a 
mammoth  basin,  which  is  only  exceeded  by  those  of 
the  Amazon  and  the  Mississippi. 

The  commercial  activity  of  the  port  is  shown  by  the 
arrival  and  departure  daily  of  many  large  steamships, 
foreign  and  coastwise.  Sixty  European  steamers  are 
recorded  as  arriving  here  monthly,  besides  a  number 
from  the  United  States.  The  maritime  business  of 
the  port  is  mostly  in  the  hands  of  Englishmen,  Amer- 
icans, and  Frenchmen.  The  native  -  born  citizen 
evinces  no  genius  in  commercial  matters.  The  de- 
partment of  the  capital  is  the  smallest  in  the  republic, 
having  an  area  of  only  twenty -five  square  miles,  but 
it  is  fertile,  well  wooded  and  watered,  its  agricultural 
interests  predominating,  which  is  a  most  important 
fact  in  estimating  the  stability  and  pecuniary  respon- 
sibility of  any  state. 

The  city  is  exceptionably  well  situated  on  a  small 
rocky  promontory,  or  rather  we  should  designate  it  as 
a  peninsula,  jutting  out  into  the  estuary,  three  of  its 
sides  fronting  the  sea,  and  as  its  streets  are  nearly 
always  swept  by  ocean  breezes,  it  is  cool  and  pleas- 
ant even  in  midsummer.  The  land  rises  gradually 
as  it  recedes  from  the  shore,  and  then  declines  to  the 
bed  of  a  small  stream  which  empties  into  the  bay, 
thus  affording  a  natural  surface  drainage.  Uruguay 
is  a  little  more  than  twelve  times  as  large  territo- 
rially as  the  State  of  Massachusetts,  and  is  divided 


MONTEVIDEO.  225 

into  thirteen  departments.  There  are  over  half  a 
million  acres  of  land  under  good  cultivation  in  the 
republic,  the  principal  staples  being  wheat  and  corn. 
Extreme  heat  and  extreme  cold  are  alike  unknown, 
the  country  being  within  the  temperate  zone.  The 
mean  summer  temperature  is  71°  Fahr.,  that  of  au- 
tumn 62°,  and  of  spring  60°.  There  are,  therefore, 
but  few  things  which  the  climate  is  too  hot  or  too  cold 
to  produce,  while  for  the  raising  of  cattle  on  a  large 
scale  it  is  said  to  be  the  best  section  of  South  Amer- 
ica, and  this  forms,  we  believe,  its  largest  industry. 

In  approaching  Montevideo  from  the  sea,  it  is  ob- 
served that  the  surrounding  country  is  quite  level, 
with  scarcely  a  single  object  to  break  the  distant  view. 
Immediately  upon  landing  one  realizes  that  the  city 
is  clean  and  weU  built,  though  it  is  mostly  made 
up  of  low  structures  one  story  in  height.  There  are 
plenty  of  dwellings  of  two  and  three  stories,  however, 
in  the  more  modern  part  of  the  town.  Dominating  the 
whole  stand  the  lofty  dome  and  towers  of  the  cathe- 
dral, which  faces  the  Plaza  Constitution.  The  turrets 
are  of  striking  proportions,  each  rising  to  the  height 
of  one  hundred  and  thirty -three  feet.  The  widespread 
dome  woidd  be  grand  in  effect,  were  it  not  covered 
with  glazed  tiles  of  various  colors,  blue,  green,  yellow, 
and  so  on,  the  combined  effect  of  which  is  anything  but 
pleasing  to  a  critical  eye.  Still,  it  is  no  more  tawdry 
than  much  of  the  inside  finish  and  meaningless  orna- 
mentation. There  is  an  elaborate  marble  fountain  in 
the  centre  of  the  plaza,  besides  some  ornamental  shrub- 


226  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

bery  and  flowers.  The  very  fine  marble  fa9ade  of  the 
building  occupied  by  the  Uruguay  Club  adds  to  the 
beauty  of  the  plaza.  Near  the  fountain  is  a  fanciful 
music  stand,  in  which  a  military  band  is  occasionally 
stationed  to  perform  for  the  public  pleasure.  These 
South  Americans  would  as  soon  give  up  the  bull- 
fights as  the  popular  outdoor  evening  concerts,  the 
excellent  moral  effect  of  which  no  one  can  possibly 
doubt. 

An  abrupt  hill  at  the  head  of  the  harbor,  four  or 
five  hundred  feet  in  height,  known  as  the  "Monte," 
gives  the  city  its  name,  Montevideo.  This  hill  is 
crowned  by  a  small  fort  and  lighthouse,  the  latter 
containing  a  revolving  light  which  can  be  seen  a  long 
distance  at  sea.  A  couple  of  miles  inland  rises  an- 
other hill  called  the  Cerrito,  or  "little  hill."  Several 
times  during  revolutionary  struggles,  these  two  hills 
have  been  fortified  by  opposing  parties,  who  have  de- 
sired to  control  the  city,  but  restless  revolutionists  are 
now  at  a  discount,  fortunately,  in  this  republic  of 
Uruguay,  a  class  of  uneasy  spirits  who  have  reigned 
quite  long  enough  on  the  southern  continent. 

The  town  is  built  in  the  form  of  an  amphitheatre, 
and  has  comparatively  few  edifices  of  importance. 
Its  regular,  straight  streets  and  open  squares  are  in- 
tensely Spanish.  The  Paseo  del  Molino  is  the  fash- 
ionable part  ot  the  town,  where  the  wealthy  merchants 
reside  in  curious  chalets,  or  quintas  as  they  are  called 
here.  There  is  rather  an  extraordinary  taste  displayed 
in  the  matter  of  buildings  on  this  Paseo.     Swiss  cot- 


DOMESTIC  ARCHITECTURE.  227 

tages,  Italian  villas,  Chinese  dwellings,  and  Gothic 
structures  are  mingled  with  Spanish  and  Moorish 
styles.  This  architectural  incongruity  is  not  pictur- 
esque, but,  on  the  contrary,  strikes  one  as  very  crude 
and  ill-chosen.  The  charm  of  domestic  residences  in 
any  part  of  the  globe  is  a  certain  adaptability  to  the 
natural  surroundings,  and  is,  when  well  conceived,  a 
graceful  part  of  the  whole.  Inappropriate  structures 
are  to  the  eye  like  false  notes  in  music  to  the  ear,  an 
outrage  upon  harmony.  A  Swiss  chalet  in  Hindostan, 
or  a  Japanese  bamboo  house  in  England,  is  simply 
discordancy  in  scenic  consistency.  Nature  should  al- 
ways be  a  silent  partner  in  the  creation  and  adap- 
tation of  architectural  designs.  In  olden  times  the 
Jesuits  built  a  large  mill  near  this  spot,  and  hence  the 
name  of  the  place. 

The  climate  must  be  very  equable  and  fine  to  admit 
of  such  fruit  culture  as  exists  here.  The  strawberries 
grown  in  the  neighborhood  are  famous  for  their  size 
and  sweetness,  the  vines  producing  this  favorite  fruit 
all  the  year  round.  They  are  perhaps  a  little  over- 
developed, and  would  doubtless  be  of  finer  flavor  if 
they  were  smaller. 

The  Plaza  de  la  Independencia  is  highly  attractive, 
and  so  is  the  broad,  tree-lined  avenue  known  as  the 
Calle  del  Dieziochavo  de  Julio,  named  after  the  anni- 
versary of  the  Uruguayan  declaration  of  independence. 
This,  indeed,  is  thought  to  be  the  most  effective  boule- 
vard in  all  South  America.  On  festal  occasions  it  is 
decorated  in  an  original  and  brilliant  manner,  having 


228  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

colored  draperies  hanging  from  the  windows  and  bal- 
conies, bright  colored  cambrics  stretched  from  point 
to  point,  with  the  gay  flag  of  the  republic  festooned 
here  and  there.  Chinese  lanterns  are  hung  from  the 
trees,  and  arches  spanning  the  roadway  and  bearing 
national  designs  are  all  ablaze  with  ingeniously  ar- 
ranged gas  jets.  Down  one  side  of  this  long  avenue 
and  up  the  other,  it  being  over  a  hundred  feet  broad, 
a  civic  and  military  procession  marches  on  the  annual 
recurrence  of  the  date  which  its  name  indicates,  the 
several  divisions  headed  by  bands  of  music,  with  flags 
flying  and  drums  beating.  On  such  occasions  the  win- 
dows and  balconies  are  filled  with  groups  of  handsome 
women,  in  gala  dresses,  together  with  pretty  children 
in  holiday  costumes,  who  add  charm  and  completeness 
to  the  scene.  This  avenue  is  the  Champs  Elysees  of 
the  southern  continent,  a  thoroughfare  of  which  the 
residents  are  justly  very  proud. 

The  streets  and  sidewalks  generally  are  of  better 
width  in  Montevideo  than  in  most  of  the  South  Amer- 
ican cities.  Some  few  of  the  private  residences  dis- 
play fine  architectural  taste,  the  dwellings  being  well 
adapted  to  the  climate  and  the  surroundings.  Many 
of  the  city  houses  have  little  towers  erected  on  their 
roofs,  called  miradores,  from  whence  one  gets  an  ex- 
cellent view  of  the  entire  city  and  of  the  sea.  The 
town  is  spread  over  a  large  territory,  and  stretches 
away  into  thinly  populated  suburbs,  but  all  parts  are 
rendered  accessible  by  the  well  -  perfected  system  of 
tramways  which  extend   over  fifty  miles  within  the 


POPULATION  OF  MONTEVIDEO.  229 

city  and  the  immediate  environs.  In  the  absence  of 
official  figures,  we  should  judge  that  Montevideo  had 
a  population  of  at  least  two  hundred  thousand.  Every 
other  nationality  seems  to  be  represented  in  its  streets 
and  warehouses,  except  that  of  Uruguay  herself. 
Those  "native  and  to  the  manner  born"  are  conspicu- 
ous by  their  absence.  Speaking  of  this  rather  curious 
characteristic  to  a  friend  who  lives  here,  he  replied : 
"There  are  probably  fiity  thousand  European  and 
North  American  residents  doing  business  in  this  city, 
forming  by  far  the  most  active  element  of  the  place. 
They  are  seen  everywhere,  to  the  apparent  exclusion 
of  the  natives.  Indigenous  blood  and  energy  coidd 
not  have  made  this  capital  what  it  is  at  the  present 
time.  It  is  reaping  the  advantage  of  North  American 
enterprise,  English  and  American  capital,  and  Ger- 
man shrewdness.  These,  combined  with  the  natural 
advantages  of  the  location  and  climate,  will  eventually 
make  Montevideo  the  Liverpool  of  South  America." 
Though  all  this  goes  without  saying,  our  friend  put  it 
so  aptly  that  his  words  were  deemed  worthy  of  record- 
ing. We  do  not  hesitate  to  predict  that  the  next  dec- 
ade will  nearly  double  the  number  of  the  population 
here,  as  well  as  the  aggregate  of  its  imports  and  ex- 
ports. No  other  city  on  the  southern  continent  has 
greater  advantages  in  its  geographical  position,  or  as 
regards  salubrity  of  climate  and  adaptability  to  com- 
merce. Were  it  not  for  the  occasional  visits  of  the 
howling  pamperos,  the  climate  would  be  nearly  per- 
fect, and  even  these  exhibitions  of  a  local  nature  are. 


230  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

as  we  have  said,  accepted  with  great  equanimity  by 
the  people  on  land.  There  are  few  stoves,  and  no  fire- 
places or  chimneys,  in  Montevideo.  Cooking  is  done 
with  charcoal  on  braziers  out-of-doors,  as  is  the  custom 
in  most  tropical  countries. 

The  capital  of  Uruguay  contains  the  usual  educa- 
tional and  religious,  charitable  and  scientific,  public 
organizations,  with  appropriate  edifices  for  the  same. 
It  should  certainly  be  considered  a  reading  community, 
having  more  daily  newspapers  than  London,  and 
double  as  many  as  the  city  of  New  York ;  also  support- 
ing a  large  number  of  weekly  newspapers  and  monthly 
magazines.  As  to  books,  so  far  as  a  casual  observer 
may  speak,  they  are  few  and  far  between  in  family 
circles.  The  men  read  the  newspapers,  and  the  women 
fill  up  their  leisure  time  with  music  and  gossip.  There 
is  a  national  university  in  Montevideo,  where  over  six 
hundred  pupils  are  regularly  taught  at  the  present 
time,  and  there  are  forty-eight  professors  attached  to 
this  admirably  organized  institution.  We  heard  it 
highly  spoken  of  by  those  who  should  be  good  judges  in 
educational  matters.  The  custom  house,  with  which 
the  stranger  always  makes  an  early  acquaintance  after 
arriving  in  poi-t,  is  a  large  and  costly  structure,  three 
stories  in  height.  The  opera  house  is  worthy  of  par- 
ticular mention,  being  a  spacious  building  of  the  Doric 
order,  capable  of  seating  three  thousand  persons,  and 
when  it  is  filled  at  night,  the  interior  presents  a  grand 
array  of  elegant  costumes  and  female  beauty,  the  ladies 
of  this  city  being  noted  for  their  personal  charms. 


THE  BULL-FIGHT.  231 

This  is  a  circumstance  not  mentioned  casually  as  a 
mere  compliment,  but  simply  as  a  fact.  The  opera 
house  covers  an  entire  square,  and  has  two  large  wings 
attached  to  the  main  building,  one  of  which  is  devoted 
to  business  purposes,  and  the  other  contains  the  Na- 
tional Museum.  There  is  here  the  nucleus  of  a  most 
valuable  collection,  to  which  constant  additions  are 
being  made,  both  by  the  state  and  through  personal 
liberality  and  interest.  We  are  sorry  to  say  in  this 
connection  that  the  bull-fight,  as  a  public  exhibition, 
above  all  other  styles  of  amusement,  is  the  favorite  one 
with  the  rank  and  file  of  the  populace,  which  is  quite 
sufficiently  Spanish  to  control  the  matter  and  insure 
its  permanency.  The  bull-ring,  wherein  these  brutal 
and  terribly  demoralizing  exhibitions  take  place  on 
each  Sabbath  afternoon  during  the  season,  is  situated 
about  a  league  from  the  city  proper. 

It  must  be  a  country  or  district  under  Roman  Cath- 
olic influence,  and  with  more  or  less  of  a  Spanish  ele- 
ment permeating  it,  to  admit  of  this  style  of  desecrat- 
ing the  Sabbath,  or,  indeed,  of  indulging  on  any  day 
of  the  week  in  an  exhibition  which  is  so  thoroughly 
brutal,  cowardly,  and  repulsive.  It  is  a  sad  reflection 
upon  the  community,  high  and  low,  to  state  that  the 
bull-fight  is  one  of  its  popular  entertainments.  We 
have  said  that  this  is  a  cowardly  game.  The  fact  is, 
the  bidl  is  doomed  from  the  moment  he  enters  the 
arena.  He  has  only  his  horns  and  his  courage  to 
help  him  in  the  unequal  contest.  The  professional 
fighters  opposed  to  him  are  all  fully  armed,  and  pro- 


232  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

tected  by  sheltering  guards,  behind  which  they  can 
retire  at  will.  It  is  twelve  experts  pitted  against 
one  poor  beast.  Ingenious,  heathenish  modes  of  tor- 
ture are  devised  and  adopted  to  wound,  to  weaken, 
and  to  craze  the  victim.  If  it  was  one  armed  man 
against  the  bull,  whether  mounted  or  otherwise,  it 
would  be  a  more  equal  and  gaUant  struggle,  —  but 
twelve  to  one!  bah,  it  is  only  a  cowardly  game  in 
which  gallant  horses  and  brave  bulls  are  sacrificed  by 
a  dozen  armed  men.  Even  the  matadore,  who  gives 
the  final  and  fatal  thrust  with  his  sword,  and  who  is 
looked  upon  as  a  sort  of  hero  by  the  spectators,  does 
not  enter  the  ring  to  attempt  the  act  until  the  bull 
is  comparatively  harmless,  having  been  worried  and 
wounded  until  he  is  exhausted  by  the  struggle  and  the 
copious  loss  of  blood,  so  that  he  is  scarcely  able  to 
stand.  Though  reeling  like  a  drunken  man,  he  stag- 
gers bravely  towards  his  fresh  and  well-armed  enemy, 
showing  fight  to  the  last  gasp. 

Realize  the  moral  effect  of  such  cut-throat  exhibi- 
tions upon  youth !  The  older,  cruel  and  hardened 
spectators  are  only  rendered  more  so,  but  the  young 
and  impressionable  are  then  and  there  inoculated  with 
a  love  of  brutality  and  bloodshed,  fostered  by  every 
fresh  exhibition  which  they  witness. 

The  Exchange  is  a  grand  and  spacious  structure, 
admirably  adapted  to  its  purpose,  being  one  of  the 
finest  business  edifices  in  South  America,  to  our  mind 
infinitely  superior  in  all  respects  to  that  of  Rio,  upon 
which  so  much  money  has  been  expended  in  meretri- 


EDUCATIONAL  INTERESTS.  233 

cious  designs.  The  author  counted  the  names  of  some 
forty  charitable  institutions  and  associations  in  a 
Montevideo  directory,  eight  or  ten  of  which  are  main- 
tained mostly  by  public  endowment,  such  as  hospitals, 
asylums  for  the  poor,  orphanages,  industrial  schools, 
lunatic  asylimas,  and  so  on.  Near  the  Plaza  Ramirez 
there  is  a  school  of  arts  and  trades,  which  at  this  writ- 
ing accommodates  a  large  body  of  pupils,  taught  by 
competent  professors  and  experts.  We  were  told  that 
this  institution  was  of  great  practical  service  in  the 
cause  of  education,  its  general  aim  being  similar  to 
that  of  the  Massachusetts  Institute  of  Technology. 
One  was  hardly  prepared  to  credit  Montevideo  with 
so  many  and  well-sustained  educational  purposes  as 
she  was  found  to  be  justly  entitled  to.  The  reader 
will  observe  that  we  speak  qualifiedly  of  these  mat- 
ters; it  is  only  the  outward  and  most  obvious  charac- 
teristics of  a  city,  so  briefly  visited,  of  which  one  can 
speak  correctly.  It  would  have  been  gratifying  to 
have  remained  longer  in  this  capital,  to  understand 
more  clearly  the  educational  advantages  which  are 
offered  here.  In  this  department  of  progress,  Mon- 
tevideo seems  in  advance  of  many  larger  cities. 

Squads  of  soldiers  are  seen  lounging  about  the  town, 
dressed  in  a  uniform  of  the  Zouave  pattern,  not  very 
jaunty  looking  fellows,  it  must  be  confessed,  but  per- 
haps "as good  food  for  powder  as  a  better."  The  en- 
tire army  of  Uruguay  consists  of  only  five  thousand 
men,  of  all  branches.  The  president  has  also  a  bat- 
talion of  body-guards,  consisting  of  three  or  four  hun- 


234  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

dred  men,  forming  a  very  efficient  as  well  as  ornamen- 
tal organization.  This  organization  consists  of  men 
loyal  to  the  administration,  and  beyond  a  doubt  per- 
sonally devoted  to  the  president.  The  rank  and  file 
of  the  army  embraces  all  shades  of  color,  both  as  to 
mind  and  body,  and  is  liable  to  become  disaffected  at 
the  outbreak  of  any  popular  upheaval,  or  through  the 
influence  of  designing  men.  This  body-guard,  how- 
ever, being  always  on  duty,  is  ready  and  able  to 
turn  the  scale  by  prompt  and  consistent  action,  in  fa- 
vor of  the  established  authorities,  and  thus  nip  rebel- 
lion in  the  bud.  It  is  only  after  getting  thoroughly 
under  way  that  revolutionary  attempts  become  formi- 
dable. At  the  inception,  the  strong  arm  promptly  ap- 
plied stamps  out  the  life  and  courage  of  the  mob,  and 
renders  sedition  futile.  "  No  parleying ;  fire  promptly, 
and  fire  to  kill;  that  ends  the  matter,"  said  Napoleon. 
Blank  cartridges  and  vacillation  stimidate  a  half- 
formed  purpose  into  action. 

One  is  forced  to  admit  that  beggars  are  rather  nu- 
merous in  Montevideo,  —  beggars  on  horseback  and 
wearing  spurs.  They  coolly  stop  their  small,  wiry, 
half -fed  ponies,  and  with  magnificent  effrontery  beg 
of  any  stranger  they  chance  to  meet  for  a  centavo, 
a  copper  coin  worth  about  two  cents  of  our  American 
money.  The  incongruity  of  beggars  mounted,  while 
the  stranger  of  whom  they  solicit  alms  is  a  pedestrian, 
is  somewhat  obvious.  It  must  be  remembered,  how- 
ever, that  horses  are  very  cheap  in  this  country,  and 
that  nearly  every  one  rides  or  drives.     A  good  ser- 


CHEAP  HORSES.  235 

viceable  animal  can  be  bought  in  any  of  the  South 
American  cities  at  what  we  should  consider  a  mere 
trifle  to  pay  for  one.  A  well-broken  yoimg  saddle- 
horse  will  bring  from  twenty  to  twenty -five  dollars, 
but  the  owner,  if  one  of  the  dudes  about  town,  will 
expend  five  hundred  doUars  upon  a  silver-decked  sad- 
dle, bridle,  and  trimmings,  a  Spanish  peculiarity 
which  is  also  observed  in  the  city  of  Mexico.  A  pair 
of  well-matched  carriage-horses,  in  good  condition, 
can  be  had  for  -seventy -five  or  eighty  dollars.  Mares 
are  not  worked  in  this  country,  being  solely  used  for 
breeding  purposes,  and  have  no  fixed  price ;  indeed, 
they  are  not  met  with  in  the  cities.  It  will  be  seen 
that  for  a  beggar  to  set  up  business  here  requires  some 
capital,  but  not  much.  De  Quincey  would  describe 
Spanish  beggary  as  having  become  elevated  to  one  of 
the  fine  arts. 

There  is  a  class  of  men  in  Urugijay  called  gauchos 
who  devote  themselves  to  breaking  the  wild  horses  of 
the  pampas  for  domestic  use.  They  are  more  Indian 
than  Spanish,  and  pass  their  lives  mostly  as  herds- 
men of  the  vast  numbers  of  animals  which  live  in  a 
semi-wild  state  upon  the  plains  of  South  America. 
These  men  can  hardly  be  said  to  train  their  horses. 
They  only  conquer  them  by  a  process  of  cruel  disci- 
pline which  thoroughly  subdues  the  animal.  After 
this  the  poor  creatures  are  ever  on  the  alert  to  obey 
their  rider's  will,  prompted  by  a  pressure  of  the  pow- 
erful bit,  and  a  merciless  thrust  of  the  long,  sharp 
rowels.     The  gaucho  reminds  one  of  the  cowboys  of 


236  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

our  Western  States.  He  forms  a  very  picturesque  fig- 
ure when  seen  upon  liis  wiry  little  mustang,  galloping 
along  with  his  yellow  poncho  streaming  behind  him, 
his  head  covered  by  a  broad-brimmed  soft  felt  hat,  his 
long,  dark  hair  floating  upon  the  breeze,  and  his 
broad,  loose  trousers  fluttering  in  the  wind.  A  lasso 
of  braided  or  twisted  leather  sometimes  swings  from 
one  hand,  while  the  rider  skillf  idly  manages  his  horse 
with  the  other.  Altogether  the  gaucho  forms  a  pic- 
ture of  strong  vitality  and  vivid  color.  He  spends 
a  small  fortune  upon  his  equipments,  and  his  heavy 
spurs,  are  of  solid  silver.  He  is  not  a  hard  drinker, 
an  occasional  glass  of  country  wine  satisfies  him ;  but 
he  will  gamble  aU  night  long  until  he  has  lost  his  last 
penny  to  professional  sportsmen,  who  somehow  know 
the  way  to  win  by  fair  means  or  foul. 

Few  strangers  who  visit  Montevideo  for  the  first 
time  will  be  at  all  prepared  to  see  such  a  quantity 
and  variety  of  rich  jewelry  in  the  shops.  Imported 
dress  goods  of  the  finest  quality  are  also  offered  for 
sale  in  these  shops.  The  Parisian  boulevards  have 
no  display  windows  which  contain  larger  or  finer  dia- 
monds, sapphires,  and  emeralds;  indeed,  this  country 
seems  to  be  the  home  of  precious  stones  and  real 
gems.  The  silversmiths  exhibit  goods  equally  artistic 
and  elegant.  The  best  products  of  Vienna,  Paris, 
and  London,  in  the  fancy -goods  line,  are  fully  repre- 
sented here.  Readers  who  have  visited  Genoa  will 
recall  the  fine  silver  filigree-work  which  is  a  specialty 
of  that  city,  but  some  of  the  manufactures  of  this  char- 


INFLUENCE  OF  INTOXICANTS.  237 

acter  made  here  are  quite  equal,  if  they  do  not  excel, 
that  of  the  Italian  capital. 

It  seemed  to  be  rather  a  singular  and  significant 
fact,  that  when  a  couple  of  pennies  will  purchase  a 
timablerful  of  the  national  tipple  called  cana,  a  raw 
liquor  made  from  sugar-cane,  and  quite  as  strong  as 
brandy,  still  comparatively  few  persons  are  seen  imder 
its  influence  upon  the  public  streets.  It  is  true  that 
on  all  church  festal  occasions  the  common  people  have 
a  regular  carousal,  and  get  very  much  intoxicated, 
whereupon  they  lose  one  day  in  repenting  and  two  in 
recuperation.  It  is  the  same  all  over  the  world.  The 
lower,  uneducated  classes,  having  no  intellectual  re- 
sort, seem  imbued  with  the  idea  that  to  get  thoroughly 
tipsy  is  the  acme  of  pleasure.  The  inevitable  punish- 
ment does  not  enter  into  the  calculation  at  all,  nor 
does  it  deter  the  victim  from  repeated  excesses.  It  is 
curious  to  observe  the  peculiar  effect  which  intoxi- 
cants produce  upon  people  of  different  nationalities : 
the  Russian  gets  boozy  on  vodka,  and  only  becomes 
more  loving  to  his  species ;  the  Mexican  drinks  pulque 
by  the  pint  measure,  and  craves  only  to  be  permitted 
to  sleep ;  the  French  guzzle  brandy  and  wine  until 
they  become  equally  full  of  song  and  gayety;  the 
American  Indian  is  made  utterly  crazy  and  reckless 
by  drink ;  the  Irishman  finds  a  fight  in  every  glass  of 
whiskey ;  and  the  Englishman  who  indulges  overmuch 
becomes  eloquent  on  politics  and  patriotism.  In  South 
America  the  common  people  who  drink  to  excess  are 
rendered  pugnacious  and  revolutionary.     The  police 


238  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

arrangements  of  Montevideo  are  excellent,  and  the 
streets  are  safe  for  man  or  woman  at  any  hour  of  the 
day  or  night,  which  one  is  forced  to  admit  is  more 
than  can  be  truthfully  said  of  the  majority  of  large 
cities  in  either  Europe  or  North  America.  There  is 
no  sickly  sentimentality  about  crime  and  criminals 
here.  If  a  man  outrages  the  law,  he  has  to  suffer  for 
it,  and  there  is  no  pardoning  him  imtil  he  has  worked 
out  his  entire  penalty.  It  is  the  certainty  of  punish- 
ment which  intimidates  professional  rascals.  Official 
leniency  and  pardoning  of  criminals  are  a  premium 
on  crime. 

Between  two  and  three  miles  from  the  city  there  is 
a  public  park,  which  is  laid  out  with  excellent  taste 
and  skill,  forming  a  popular  pleasure  resort.  There 
are  here  many  fine  native  and  exotic  trees,  as  well  as 
flowering  shrubs  and  blooming  flowers.  This  spacious 
park,  intersected  by  a  willow-lined  stream,  is  called 
the  Paseo,  and  is  ornamented  with  statues,  fountains, 
and  rockeries.  The  grounds  are  also  occupied  by  sev- 
eral small  places  devoted  to  amusements,  shooting- 
galleries,  billiard  saloons,  and  gambling  tables,  very 
similar  to  the  Deer  Garden  in  the  environs  of  Copen- 
hagen. Citizens  of  Montevideo  of  the  humbler  class 
come  hither  with  their  families,  bringing  food  and 
drink  to  be  disposed  of  in  picnic  fashion.  Bordering 
the  sweep  of  the  bay,  which  forms  the  harbor,  are 
many  cottages,  the  homes  of  the  rich  merchants. 
These  villas  are  surrounded  by  flower  gardens  and 
graceful  shrubbery,  the  endless  spring  climate  making 


THE   CAMPO  SANTO.  239 

the  bloom  perennial.  The  flat  roofs  of  many  of  the 
town  houses  are  partially  inclosed,  so  as  to  form  a 
pleasant  resort  in  the  closing  hours  of  the  day,  where 
family  parties  are  often  seen  gathered  together.  So- 
cial life  among  the  residents  of  the  environs  is  very 
gay,  and  so  indeed  is  that  of  the  town  residents,  whose 
hospitality  is  also  proverbial.  The  Hotel  Oriental  is 
the  favorite  hostelry  of  Montevideo,  built  of  marble 
and  well  furnished,  though  it  is  hardly  equal  to  the 
Hotel  Victoria,  its  rival,  architecturally  speaking. 

The  drinking  water,  and  all  that  is  used  for  domes- 
tic purposes  in  the  city,  is  brought  by  a  well-engi- 
neered system  from  the  river  Santa  Lucia,  which  is 
tapped  for  this  purpose  at  a  distance  of  thirty  or  forty 
miles  from  Montevideo. 

The  Campo  Santo  of  the  capital  is  admirably  ar- 
ranged and  particularly  well  kept,  being  in  several 
respects  like  those  of  Pisa,  Genoa,  and  other  Italian 
cities.  It  is  the  most  elaborate  cemetery  in  South 
America,  surrounded  by  high  walls  so  built  as  to  con- 
tain five  tiers  of  niches  which  form  the  receptacles  for 
the  dead.  The  grounds  are  nearly  as  crowded  with 
elaborate  tombs  and  stone  monuments  as  Pere  la 
Chaise,  at  Paris,  the  funereal  cypress  rising  here  and 
there  in  stately  mournfulness  above  the  marble  slabs. 
The  abundance  of  metallic  wreaths  and  artificial  flowers 
afforded  another  resemblance  to  the  famous  French 
cemetery.  The  freshness  of  many  of  the  floral  offer- 
ings showed  that  the  memory  of  the  departed  was 
kept  green  in  the  hearts  of  those  left  behind.     The 


240  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

traveler  sees  many  such  touching  evidences  of  tender- 
ness all  over  the  world.  Much  of  the  marble  work 
seen  in  these  groimds  was  imported  from  Milan,  and 
some  from  both  Florence  and  Rome.  The  monumen- 
tal entrance  to  the  grounds,  and  the  elaborate  chapel 
within  them,  are  both  in  good  taste. 

Beef,  hides,  wool,  hair,  and  grain  seem  to  be  the 
principal  articles  of  export.  Uruguay  contains  over 
half  a  million  of  people,  and  has  an  area  of  seventy- 
one  thousand  square  miles,  intersected  by  several  rail- 
ways, bringing  the  interior  within  easy  reach  of  the 
capital.  It  is  said  to  be  growing  more  rapidly  in 
proportion  to  its  size  and  the  present  number  of 
inhabitants  than  any  other  part  of  South  America. 
The  republic  is  best  known  to  the  woi-ld  by  its  Indian 
name,  Uruguay,  but  on  many  maps  it  is  still  desig- 
nated as  the  Banda  Oriental,  that  is,  the  "Eastern 
Border."  It  will  be  remembered  that  this  now  inde- 
pendent state  was  originally  a  part  of  the  Argentine 
Republic,  which  was  formerly  known  by  that  designa- 
tion. Though  Uruguay  is  one  of  the  smallest  of  the 
independent  divisions  of  the  cpntinent,  it  is  yet  one  of 
the  most  important,  a  fact  owing  largely  to  its  admi- 
rable commercial  location.  Nearly  all  of  its  territory 
can  be  reached  by  navigable  rivers,  while  its  Atlantic 
shore  has  a  dozen  good  harbors.  Sixteen  large  rivers 
intersect  the  republic  in  various  directions,  all  of 
which  have  their  several  tributaries.  Cheap  internal 
transportation  is  assured  by  over  three  hundred  miles 
of  railways ;  also  by  these  rivers.     As  already  inti- 


INTELLIGENT  FARMING.  241 

mated,  its  agricultural  interests  are  largely  on  the 
increase,  the  strongest  element  of  permanency.  Ori- 
ginally the  pastoral  interest  prevailed  over  all  other, 
but  agriculture,  both  here  and  in  the  Argentine  Re- 
public, has  taken  precedence.  The  model  farms  near 
Montevideo  are  unsurpassed  for  extent,  completeness, 
and  the  liberal  manner  in  which  they  are  conducted. 
Some  large  estates  might  be  named  which  will  compare 
favorably  with  anything  of  the  sort  which  the  author 
has  ever  seen  in  any  country,  where  agriculture  is  fol- 
lowed on  intelligent  principles.  Here  the  cultivation 
of  the  soil  is  carried  on  not  solely  to  obtain  all  which 
can  be  wrung  from  it,  in  the  way  of  pecuniary  profit, 
but  con  amore^  and  with  a  due  regard  to  system.  As 
may  be  supposed,  the  return  is  fidly  commensurate 
with  the  intelligence  and  liberality  exercised  in  the 
business.  Such  farming  may  be  and  is  called  fancy 
farming,  but  it  is  a  sort  which  pays  most  liberally, 
and  which  affords  those  engaged  in  it  the  most  satis- 
faction. 

To  be  an  honest  chronicler,  one  must  not  hesitate  to 
look  at  all  phases  of  progress,  successful  or  otherwise, 
on  the  part  of  each  people  and  country  visited  and 
written  about.  There  are  always  deep-lying  influences 
acting  for  good  or  evil,  which  scarcely  present  them- 
selves to  the  thoughtless  observer. 

One  reason  for  the  rapid  growth  of  this  republic  of 
Uruguay  is  because  of  its  gradually  casting  off  the 
slough  of  Roman  Catholic  influence,  a  species  of  dry 
rot  quite  sufficient  to  bring  about  the  destruction  of 


242  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

any  government.  The  same  incubus  which  was  of  so 
long  standing  in  Mexico,  where  its  effect  kept  the 
people  in  ignorance  and  ferment  for  centuries,  has  at 
last  been  abolished,  and  modern  progress  naturally 
follows.  In  Uruguay  the  Romish  Church  has  lost 
its  prestige,  having  hastened  its  own  downfall  by 
blindly  striving  to  enforce  fifteenth  century  ideas  upon 
people  of  the  nineteenth.  Monks  and  nuns  have  been 
expelled,  and  parish  schools  have  been  closed.  Free 
schools  now  prevail,  and  general  knowledge  is  becom- 
ing broadcast,  which  simply  means  destruction  to  all 
popish  control.  Intelligence  is  the  antidote  for  big- 
otry, which  explains  the  bitter  opposition  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  priesthood  to  free  schools  wherever 
their  faith  prevails. 

In  all  of  these  South  American  provinces  it  has  been 
found  difficult  to  throw  off  the  evil  inheritance  of  sloth 
and  anarchy  which  the  Spaniards  imposed  upon  their 
colonial  possessions.  The  schoolliouse  is  the  true 
temple  of  liberty  for  this  people.  In  the  department 
of  Montevideo  alone  there  are  to-day  over  sixty  free 
schools,  and  in  the  whole  republic  nearly  four  hun- 
dred, something  for  her  authorities  to  point  at  with 
a  spirit  of  just  pride.  This  enimieration  does  not 
include  the  private  schools,  of  which  there  are  also 
a  large  ntmiber  in  the  capital. 

We  find  by  published  statistics  that  Uruguay  ex- 
ports of  wool,  about  seven  million  dollars'  worth  per 
annum;  of  beef,  over  six  million  dollars'  worth;  of 
hides,  four  million  dollars'  worth ;  and  of  wheat  about 


EXPORTS.  243 

the  same  amount  in  value  as  that  of  the  last  article 
named.  These  staples,  however,  are  only  representa- 
tive articles,  to  which  many  more  might  be  added,  to 
show  her  growing  commercial  importance  and  assured 
prosperity. 

Our  next  stopping-place  is  the  important  city  of 
Buenos  Ayres,  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river, 
about  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  southwest  of  Mon- 
tevideo. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Buenos  Ayres.  —  Extent  of  the  Argentine  Republic.  —  Population.  — 
Narrow  Streets.  —  Large  Public  Squares.  —  Basques.  —  Poor  Har- 
bor. —  Railway  System.  —  River  Navigation.  —  Tramways.  —  The 
Cathedral. — Normal  Schools.  —  Newspapers. — Public  BuUdings. 
—  Calle  Florida. — A  Busy  City. —  Mode  of  furnishing  Milk. — 
Environs.  —  Commercial  and  Political  Growth.  —  The  New  Capital. 

The  city  of  Buenos  Ayres  —  "Good  Air  " —  is  well 
named  so  far  as  its  natural  situation  is  concerned,  but 
this  condition  of  a  pure  atmosphere  has  been  seriously 
affected  by  unsanitary  conditions,  naturally  arising 
from  the  large  influx  of  a  very  promiscuous  popula- 
tion. A  considerable  percentage  are  Italians,  and  so 
far  as  personal  cleanliness  and  decency  go,  they  seem 
to  be  among  the  lost  arts  with  them. 

This  thriving  city  is  the  capital  of  the  Argentine 
Republic,  which,  next  to  Brazil,  is  the  largest  inde- 
pendent state  in  South  America,  containing  fourteen 
provinces,  each  of  which  has  its  own  local  government, 
modeled  after  those  of  the  United  States.  The  aver- 
age reader  will  doubtless  be  surprised,  as  the  author 
certainly  was,  to  realize  that  this  southern  republic  ex- 
ceeds in  extent  of  territory  the  united  kingdoms  of 
Great  Britain,  together  with  France,  Germany,  Aus- 
tria, Hungary,  Italy,  Spain,  Portugal,  Belgiimi,  Hol- 
land, and  Greece  combined,  the  actual  area  being 


POPULATION.  245 

something  over  twelve  hundred  thousand  square  miles. 
The  province  of  Buenos  Ayres  is  just  about  the  size 
of  the  State  of  New  York,  and  contains  in  round  num- 
bers a  population  of  one  million.  Two  hundred  years 
ago,  the  city  of  Buenos  Ayres  had  a  population  of  five 
hundred.  Having  the  statistics  at  hand,  it  is  perhaps 
worth  while  to  state  that,  of  the  aggregate  population 
of  the  province,  a  majority,  or  fully  six  hundred  thou- 
sand, are  foreigners,  classed  as  follows:  three  hun- 
dred thousand  Italians,  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
French,  one  hundred  thousand  Spaniards,  forty  thou- 
sand English,  and  twenty  thousand  Germans.  The 
number  of  North  American  residents  is  very  small, 
though  they  control  a  fair  percentage  of  the  exports 
and  imports.  Authentic  statistics  show  that  they  num- 
ber less  than  six  hundred.  Paris  is  not  more  crowded 
with  refugees  from  various  countries  than  is  this  Ar- 
gentine capital.  Why  such  a  spot  was  selected  on 
which  to  establish  a  commercial  city  is  an  unsolved 
riddle,  as  it  embraces  about  all  the  natural  inconven- 
iences that  could  possibly  be  encountered  on  the  banks 
of  a  large  river.  The  perversity  of  such  a  selection 
is  the  more  obvious,  because  those  who  made  it  must 
have  passed  by  a  score  of  admirable  points  eminently 
superior  in  all  respects  to  the  one  now  occupied. 

The  first  view  of  Buenos  Ayres  on  approaching  it  by 
water  is  peculiar,  the  line  of  sight  being  only  broken 
by  the  church  towers  and  a  few  prominent  public  build- 
ings; the  horizon  alone  forms  the  background  of  the 
picture.     Unlike  nearly  all  of  the  South  American 


246  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

cities,  there  is  no  forest  or  mountain  range  behind  or 
surrounding  the  capital.  From  its  environs  a  con- 
tinuous plain  stretches  away  for  nearly  eight  hundred 
miles  to  the  foothills  of  the  Andes.  Situated  be- 
tween the  34°  and  35°  of  south  latitude,  it  enjoys  a 
climate  similar  to  that  of  the  south  of  France,  and  al- 
most identical  with  that  of  New  Orleans.  The  site 
upon  which  the  city  stands  is  considerably  above  the 
level  of  the  river,  and  though  the  streets  are  far  too 
narrow  for  business  purposes  in  the  older  portions  of 
the  town,  they  widen  to  a  better  size  in  the  newer 
parts.  The  roadways  are  poorly  paved,  so  that  it  is 
very  uncomfortable  to  walk  or  drive  over  them. 
Boulevards  are  laid  out  to  cut  the  older  parts  of  the 
city  diagonally,  as  was  done  in  Paris  and  Genoa,  and 
is  now  being  done  in  Florence,  so  as  to  relieve  the 
present  insufficient  capacity  for  the  transportation  of 
merchandise.  One  is  apt,  however,  when  remarking 
upon  these  particularly  narrow  and  irregular  streets 
in  a  foreign  country,  to  forget  that  there  are,  in  the 
older  portions  of  the  capital  of  Massachusetts,  some 
quite  as  circumscribed  and  corkscrew  fashioned.  If 
we  do  not  find  all  the  excellences  of  civilization  pre- 
dominating, and  admirable  people  in  the  majority 
here,  we  should  do  well  to  remember  that  we  have  also 
left  them  in  the  minority  at  home. 

The  huge  custom  house  of  Buenos  Ayres,  with 
its  circular  form  and  high  walls  facing  the  river,  re- 
calls in  general  appearance  Castle  Garden  in  New 
York  harbor,  or  the  fort  on  Governor's  Island.     In 


CITY  MONUMENTS.  247 

its  importance  as  a  commercial  emporium,  this  city 
disputes  the  first  place  with  only  three  others  in  the 
southern  hemisphere,  namely,  Rio  Janeiro,  Sydney, 
and  Melbourne,  the  latter  of  which  has  lately  added 
greatly  to  its  harbor  facilities  by  deepening  and  wid- 
ening the  Yarra-Yarra  River. 

The  dwelling-houses  of  Buenos  Ayres  are  mostly 
built  of  brick,  and  are  of  a  far  more  substantial  char- 
acter than  those  upon  the  west  coast  of  the  continent. 
They  have  much  more  the  appearance  of  North  Amer- 
ican dwellings  than  Spanish,  except  that  the  windows 
are  strongly  guarded  with  iron  bars,  and  the  cool, 
shady  patios  present  domestic  scenes,  mingled  with 
flowers  and  fragrance,  strongly  local  in  color.  The 
city  is  regularly  laid  out  in  squares  of  a  hundred  and 
fifty  yards  each,  so  when  one  is  told  that  such  or  such 
a  place  is  so  many  squares  away,  he  knows  exactly  the 
distance  which  is  indicated.  The  Plaza  de  la  Victoria 
is  surrounded  by  handsome  edifices,  including  the 
opera  house  and  the  cathedral,  the  facade  of  the  lat- 
ter very  much  resembling  that  of  the  Madeleine  at 
Paris.  This  square  has  a  fine  equestrian  statue  of  some 
patriot,  and  a  small  column  commemorating  a  national 
event.  The  city  has  a  population  equaling  that  of 
Boston  in  number,  and  we  do  not  hesitate  to  say  that 
it  is  more  noted  for  its  enterprise  and  general  progress 
than  any  other  of  the  South  American  cities.  It  has 
been  appropriately  called  the  Chicago  of  the  southern 
continent.  The  republic,  of  which  it  is  the  principal 
city,  has  seven  thousand  miles  of   telegraphic  wire 


248  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

within  its  area,  a  tangible  evidence  of  enterprise  which 
requires  no  comment.  One  remarkable  line  connects 
this  city  with  that  of  Valparaiso,  on  the  Pacific  side 
of  the  continent,  and  is  constructed  with  iron  poles 
nearly  the  whole  distance,  crossing  the  Andes  by 
means  of  forty  miles  of  cable  laid  beneath  the  perpet- 
ual snows ! 

It  may  well  be  supposed  that  the  inhabitants  of 
Buenos  Ayres  are  of  a  cosmopolitan  character,  when 
it  is  known  that  the  daily  newspapers  are  issued  in 
five  different  languages.  As  shown  by  the  statistics 
already  given,  a  considerable  share  of  the  people  are 
Italians,  who  form  much  the  larger  portion  of  the  emi- 
grants now  coming  hither  from  Europe,  or  who  have 
arrived  here  during  the  last  decade.  As  additions  to 
the  population,  they  form  a  more  desirable  class,  in 
many  respects,  than  those  who  seek  homes  further 
north.  After  the  Italians,  the  Basques  are  among  the 
most  numerous  of  the  new-comers.  There  are  over 
fifty  thousand  of  this  people  settled  in  the  province  of 
Buenos  Ayres  alone,  readily  adapting  themselves  to 
the  country.  They  are  a  strongly  individualized  race, 
whom  no  one  is  liable  to  mistake  for  any  other.  They 
maintain  in  a  great  measure  the  picturesque  style  of 
dress  which  prevails  in  their  native  land,  no  matter 
what  their  vocation  may  be  here.  As  a  rule,  the 
Basques  come  with  their  families,  bringing  some  mod- 
erate amount  of  pecuniary  means  with  them,  and  at 
once  devote  themselves  to  agricultural  pursuits.  They 
take  especially  to  the  department  of  the  dairy,  making 


A   POOR  HARBOR.  249 

butter  and  cheese  of  excellent  quality,  for  which  they 
find  a  ready  city  market.  They  have  a  natural  incli- 
nation towards  cattle  tending,  and  are  looked  upon  by 
the  authorities  as  among  the  very  best  of  European 
emigrants.  To  promote  this  immigration  to  Argen- 
tina, a  per  capita  premium  has  been  paid  heretofore 
by  the  government,  who,  indeed,  are  still  ready  to  fur- 
nish a  free  passage  for  responsible  emigrants,  both  of 
this  and  other  nationalities.  This  generous  offer  has 
been  so  shamefully  abused  by  the  beggars,  lazzaroni, 
and  criminal  classes  of  Naples  and  Sicily,  that  a  check 
has  necessarily  been  put  upon  it,  particularly  as  re- 
gards the  generally  objectionable  people  of  Sicily. 

As  a  shipping  port,  Montevideo  has  a  decided 
advantage  over  this  Argentine  metropolis.  Large 
steamers  are  obliged  to  anchor  eight  or  ten  miles,  or 
even  more,  below  the  city,  on  account  of  the  shallow- 
ness of  the  river  at  this  point.  A  channel  has  been 
opened  to  facilitate  the  approach  of  vessels  of  moder- 
ate tonnage,  but  much  yet  remains  to  be  done  before 
the  experiment  will  be  of  any  practical  advantage. 
Tugboats  land  passengers  on  the  quay,  who  arrive  by 
the  large  mail  steamers.  Vessels  of  not  over  twenty- 
five  hundred  tons  can  lie  at  the  shore  and  land  their 
cargoes  by  means  of  the  limited  conveniences  of  the 
new  dock.  One  would  think  that  this  want  of  harbor 
facilities  was  an  insuperable  objection  and  impediment 
in  the  growth  of  a  great  commercial  capital,  but  Bue- 
nos Ayres  goes  straight  onward,  progressing  in  wealth 
and  business,  apparently  regardless  of  such  disadvan- 


250  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

tages.  The  present  aggregate  of  its  imports,  in  round 
numbers,  is  one  hundred  million  dollars  per  annum. 

Even  to-day,  while  resting  under  so  serious  a  finan- 
cial cloud,  with  her  credit  at  the  lowest  ebb,  and  so 
many  of  her  lately  wealthy  merchants  in  bankruptcy, 
the  city  has  a  certain  steady,  normal  growth,  which  it 
would  appear  that  nothing  can  seriously  impair.  As 
we  have  intimated,  the  tide  of  immigration  has  been 
checked,  though  not  entirely  stopped,  by  the  depressed 
financial  and  business  condition  of  the  country;  still, 
in  one  closing  month  of  the  last  year,  October,  1891, 
over  two  thousand  passengers  arrived  by  steamship  in 
Argentina,  seeking  new  and  permanent  homes. 

When  a  pampero  is  blowing,  it  sometimes  forces 
nearly  all  of  the  water  out  of  the  harbor,  leaving  it 
high  and  dry,  so  to  speak,  though  the  river  is  thirty 
miles  in  width  opposite  Buenos  Ayres.  Passengers, 
baggage,  and  freight  have  in  the  past  often  been 
landed  by  means  of  horse  carts,  hung  on  high  wheels, 
and  driven  out  into  the  water  to  such  a  depth  as  woidd 
float  small  boats  and  lighters.  Indeed,  this  was  for 
many  years  the  common  mode  of  landing  freight  and 
passengers  at  Buenos  Ayres.  Two  long  and  narrow 
piers  which  have  been  built  partially  obviate  the  ne- 
cessity of  employing  carts,  unless  the  water  becomes 
very  low.  It  has  been  said  in  all  seriousness,  and  we 
believe  it  to  be  true,  that  the  cost  of  landing  a  cargo  of 
merchandise  at  Buenos  Ayres  ha'^  often  been  as  great 
as  the  freight  by  vessel  from  New  York,  Liverpool, 
or  Boston. 


RAILROADS.  251 

To  construct  a  suitable  harbor  here  for  commercial 
purposes  is  a  project  attended  by  almost  insurmount- 
able difficulties,  but  the  attempt  is  gradually  being 
made.  The  water  in  front  of  the  city  is  not  only 
shallow,  but  the  bottom  is  extremely  hard,  while  the 
increase  of  depth  down  the  river  is  so  little  that  it 
would  involve  the  dredging  of  soil  for  a  distance  of  ten 
miles,  together  with  an  indefinite  width.  It  is  very 
doubtful  if  a  channel  in  such  a  situation,  liable  to  con- 
stant changes,  could  be  effectually  established  and 
maintained  at  any  cost.  The  city  does  not  depend 
upon  its  foreign  commerce  alone  for  business,  having 
a  boundless  and  productive  territory  in  its  rear,  of 
which  it  will  always  be  the  commercial  capital.  It  is 
already  a  great  railway  centre,  the  republic  having 
over  seven  thousand  miles  of  iron  and  steel  rails  within 
its  borders.  Five  railways  radiate  from  Buenos 
Ayres  at  this  writing,  and  a  sixth  is  projected.  One 
route  has  been  surveyed  with  the  idea  of  connecting 
this  city  direct  with  Valparaiso,  the  distance  between 
the  two  capitals  being  about  nine  hundred  miles.  It 
is  designed  to  take  advantage  of  the  road  already  com- 
pleted to  Mendoza,  from  whence  the  addition  would 
cross  the  Cordilleras  at  a  height  of  ten  thousand  feet, 
and  pass  through  several  tunnels,  one  of  which  would 
be  two  miles  long. 

It  should  also  be  remembered,  while  on  this  sub- 
ject of  transportation  facilities,  that  the  Parana  River 
is  navigable  for  light  draught  steamers  two  thousand 
miles  inland  from  Buenos  Ayres,  into  and  through 


262  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

one  of  the  most  productive  valleys  in  the  world. 
From  Montevideo  to  Point  Piedras,  the  river  is  uni- 
formly sixty  miles  wide,  and  at  Buenos  Ayres  it  has 
only  narrowed  to  about  half  this  distance.  The  two 
main  rivers  which  form  the  Plate  are  the  Uruguay  and 
the  Parana,  which  in  turn  unite  to  form  the  grand  es- 
tuary called  Rio  de  la  Plata. 

The  city  of  Buenos  Ayres  has  about  as  many  miles 
of  tramway  as  there  are  in  Boston.  The  various 
routes  are  well  managed,  and  afford  an  infinite  amount 
of  popular  accommodation.  This  service  is  carried  on 
by  six  different  companies.  It  is  not  in  the  hands  of 
one  big  monopoly,  as  with  us  in  Boston.  Competition 
in  undoubtedly  best  for  the  public  good,  but  the  busi- 
ness can  be  more  advantageously  conducted  by  a  sin- 
gle company.  Experience  has  shown,  however,  that 
such  a  franchise  is  liable  to  great  abuse  in  the  hands 
of  a  corporation  having  no  rivalry  to  fear. 

The  citizens  suffered  long  and  patiently  for  want  of 
good  water  for  drinking  and  domestic  purposes.  This 
trouble  has  been  partially  obviated  for  a  considerable 
time  by  the  establishment  of  extensive  water-works, 
but  they  are  not  adequate  to  the  demand.  The  means 
for  obtaining  a  new  and  additional  supply  are  now 
under  consideration.  A  system  of  drainage  has  also 
been  constructed,  which  was  fully  as  much  of  a  neces- 
sity as  the  supply  of  water,  but  which,  as  usual, 
proves  to  be  insufficient  in  capacity  to  perform  the 
necessary  work,  —  at  least  it  but  partially  meets  the 
requirements  for  which  it  was  designed.    People  grow 


THE  PLAZA    VICTORIA.  263 

hardened  by  association  with  danger,  but  the  impor- 
tance of  good  and  sufficient  drainage  for  a  capital  in 
which  malarial  fevers  prevail  hardly  requires  argu- 
ment. 

Unlike  nearly  all  of  the  South  American  cities, 
Buenos  Ayres  has  no  Plaza  Mayor,  or  public  square, 
as  a  grand  business  and  pleasure  resort,  a  central 
point,  par  excellence,  designed  also  for  the  recreation  of 
the  general  public.  There  are,  however,  several  spa- 
cious squares,  quite  large  enough  to  represent  such  an 
idea,  —  nine  or  ten  of  them  in  fact,  all  of  which  are 
surrounded  by  fine  buildings.  The  Plaza  Victoria, 
for  instance,  already  referred  to,  is  some  eight  acres 
in  extent,  made  brilliant  at  night  by  electric  lights, 
which  supplement  the  old  style  of  gas-burners.  The 
government  house,  the  Palace  of  Justice,  the  cathe- 
dral, and  other  effective  buildings  front  upon  the 
Plaza  Victoria.  Eight  or  ten  of  the  principal  streets 
converge  here,  and  this  point  is  also  the  place  of  de- 
parture for  several  lines  of  tram-cars.  The  cathe- 
dral is  in  the  Grecian  style,  the  portico  supported 
by  twelve  Corinthian  columns,  composed  of  brick, 
mortar,  and  stucco,  but  the  general  effect  is  the  same 
as  though  each  pillar  was  a  monolith.  The  edifice  is 
capable  of  containing  eight  or  ten  thousand  people  at 
a  time,  being  equal  in  size  and  architectural  effect  to 
any  ecclesiastical  establishment  on  the  continent.  As 
this  cathedral  is  a  very  remarkable  one  in  many  re- 
spects, we  devote  more  than  usual  space  to  its  descrip- 
tion.    It  was  rebuilt  by  the  Jesuits  in  the  seventeenth 


254  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

century,  but  was  originally  founded  in  1580,  and  is 
not  much  inferior  to  St.  Paul's,  London,  as  the  follow- 
ing dimensions  will  show.  It  is  two  hundred  and  sev- 
enty feet  long  by  one  hundred  and  fifty  in  width,  hav- 
ing an  area  of  forty-five  himdred  square  rods,  and 
stands  next  in  size  to  Notre  Dame,  Paris.  The  inte- 
rior of  this  immense  building,  with  its  twelve  side 
chapels,  is  dark,  dingy,  and  dirty,  while  the  want  of 
ventilation  renders  the  air  within  foul  and  offensive. 
It  is  only  on  some  rare  festal  occasions  that  an  audi- 
ence at  all  adequate  to  occupy  its  great  capacity  is 
seen  within  its  walls.  A  hundred  persons  do  not  seem 
like  more  than  a  dozen  in  such  a  place.  Less  than  a 
thousand  only  serve  to  emphasize  its  loneliness.  One 
sees  a  few  women,  but  scarcely  any  men,  present  on 
ordinary  occasions.  The  latter  are  content  to  stand 
about  the  outer  doors  and  watch  the  former  when  they 
come  from  morning  mass,  or  the  ordinary  Sabbath  ser- 
vices. Here,  as  in  Havana,  Seville,  and  Madrid,  the 
Spanish  ladies,  who  lead  a  secluded  home  life,  under 
a  half  oriental  restraint  imposed  by  custom  inherited 
from  the  ancient  Moorish  rule  in  continental  Spain, 
do  not  resent  being  stared  at  when  in  the  streets. 
Probably  this  is  the  main  attraction  which  draws  most 
of  the  seiiors  and  senoritas  to  the  church  services, 
though  undoubtedly  many  of  them  are  devout  and  sin- 
cere in  the  outward  services  which  they  perform.  At 
least,  let  us  give  them  the  benefit  of  such  a  conclusion. 
The  national  religion  of  Argentina  is  that  of  the 
Koman  Catholic  Church,  but  the  power  of  the  priest- 


NORMAL   SCHOOLS.  255 

hood  is  strictly  confined  to  ecclesiastical  affairs,  as  in 
Uruguay.  Absolute  religious  freedom  may  be  said 
to  exist  here.  No  religious  processions  or  church  pa- 
rades are  permitted  in  the  public  streets.  This  used  to 
be  very  different  in  times  past,  almost  every  other  day 
in  the  Romish  calendar  being  some  saint's  day,  and  it 
was  the  custom  to  make  the  most  of  these  occasions  by 
elaborate  parades  and  gorgeous  display.  Besides  some 
twenty-four  Roman  Catholic  churches  and  chapels, 
there  are  a  score  presided  over  by  Protestants  of  va- 
rious denominations,  —  Episcopal,  Presbyterian,  Lu- 
theran, Methodist,  and  so  on.  There  is,  as  we  were 
informed,  a  large  and  growing  Protestant  constituency 
in  the  city. 

It  should  be  mentioned  very  much  to  her  credit  that 
Buenos  Ayres  has  supported,  since  1872,  a  series  of 
normal  schools,  in  which  regular  courses  of  three 
years'  training  are  given  to  persons  desiring  to  fit 
themselves  to  become  school-teachers.  To  assist  those 
wishing  to  avail  themselves  of  these  advantages,  the 
government  appropriates  a  certain  sum  of  money, 
and  those  persons  who  receive  this  public  aid  bind 
themselves,  in  consideration  of  the  same,  to  teach  on 
specific  terms  in  the  free  schools  for  a  period  of  three 
years.  There  are  quite  a  number  of  North  American 
ladies  employed  in  these  schools,  throughout  the  sev- 
eral districts  of  Argentina,  receiving  a  liberal  com- 
pensation therefor,  and  commanding  a  high  degree  of 
respect.  The  University  of  Buenos  Ayres,  with  about 
fifty  professors   and   some    eight   hundred   students, 


256  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA.  * 

stands  at  the  head  of  the  national  system  of  education. 
It  was  founded  in  1821,  having  classical,  law,  medi- 
cal, and  physical  departments.  There  are  also  four 
military  schools,  two  for  the  army  and  two  for  the 
navy. 

Buenos  Ayres  has  more  daily  papers  published 
within  its  precincts  than  either  Boston  or  New  York. 
It  has  several  elegant  marble  structures  devoted  to 
the  banking  business,  generally  holding  large  capitals, 
though  the  financial  condition  of  several  of  them  at 
this  writing  is  simply  that  of  bankruptcy.  This  ap- 
plies mainly  to  the  state  banks.  There  are  here  an 
orphanage,  a  deaf  and  dumb  asylum,  four  public  hos- 
pitals, and  two  libraries:  the  National  Library  con- 
taining some  seventy  thousand  volumes,  the  Popular 
Library  having  fifty  thousand.  There  is  also  a  free 
art  school,  together  with  public  and  private  schools  of 
all  grades.  Last  to  be  named,  but  by  no  means  least 
in  importance,  the  city  has  a  number  of  fairly  good 
hotels  and  restaurants,  the  latter  much  superior  to  the 
former.  Hotels  are  not  only  a  strong  indication  of 
the  social  refinement  of  a  people,  or  of  the  want  of  it, 
but  they  are  of  great  importance  as  regards  the  com- 
mercial prosperity  of  a  large  community.  Travelers 
who  are  made  comfortable  in  these  temporary  homes 
remain  longer  in  a  city  than  they  would  otherwise, 
spend  more  money  there,  and  are  apt  to  come  again. 
If,  on  the  contrary,  the  hotel  accommodations  are 
poor,  travelers  complain  of  them,  and  strangers  avoid 
a  city  where  they  are  liable  to  be  rendered  needlessly 


POOR  HOTELS.  257 

uncomfortable  in  this  respect.  Rio  Janeiro  is  a  not- 
able instance  in  hand,  a  city  whose  hotels  we  con- 
scientiously advise  the  traveler  to  avoid. 

We  well  remember,  at  the  great  caravansary  in  Cal- 
cutta, the  only  hotel  there  of  any  size  or  pretension, 
that  a  party  of  five  Englishmen  and  five  Americans, 
who  had  come  from  Madras  with  the  purpose  of  pass- 
ing a  fortnight  in  the  former  city,  shortened  their 
stay  one  half,  simply  because  the  hotel  was  so  wretch- 
edly kept,  the  accommodations  were  so  abominably 
poor,  and  the  discomforts  so  numerous.  Let  us  put 
this  idea  in  mercenary  form.  Ten  guests,  expending 
at  least  eight  dollars  each  per  day,  curtailed  their  visit 
seven  days.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  they  would  have 
left  six  hundred  dollars  more  in  Calcutta  had  they 
been  comfortably  lodged,  than  they  did  under  the  cir- 
cumstances. 

We  should  not  omit  to  mention  the  Commercial 
Exchange,  in  speaking  of  the  public  buildings  of 
Buenos  Ayres.  It  is  a  fine,  large,  modern  structure, 
admirably  adapted  to  the  purpose  for  which  it  is 
designed.  Until  within  a  year,  the  edifice  in  Boston 
applied  to  the  same  purpose  would  not  compare  with 
that  of  this  South  American  capital. 

There  is  no  dullness  or  torpor  in  this  city.  All  is 
stir  and  bustle.  Life  and  business  are  rampant,  and 
yet,  strange  to  say,  no  one  seems  to  be  in  any  special 
hurry.  Everything  is  done  in  a  leisurely  manner. 
The  number  of  handsome  stores  and  the  elegance  of 
the  goods  displayed  in  them  are  remarkable,  while  the 


258  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

annual  amount  of  sales  in  these  establishments  rivals 
that  of  some  of  our  most  popular  New  York  and 
Boston  concerns  in  similar  lines  of  business.  One 
may  count  forty  first-class  jewelry  establishments  in 
a  short  walk  about  town.  There  is  hardly  a  more 
attractive  display  in  this  line  either  in  Paris  or  London. 
Diamonds  and  precious  stones  of  all  descriptions  daz- 
zle the  eye  and  captivate  the  fancy.  The  Calle  Flo- 
rida is  one  of  the  most  fashionable  thoroughfares,  and 
presents  in  the  afterpart  of  the  day  a  very  gay  and 
striking  picture  of  local  life,  a  large  element  being 
composed  of  handsome  women,  attended  by  gayly 
dressed  nurses,  in  charge  of  lovely  children  wearing 
fancy  costumes.  The  young  boys  affect  naval  styles, 
and  their  little  sisters  wear  marvelously  broad  Roman 
scarfs,  and  have  their  feet  encased  in  dainty  buff  slip- 
pers. What  pleasing  domestic  pictures  they  suggest 
to  the  eye  of  a  restless  wanderer ! 

On  account  of  the  narrowness  of  the  streets,  there 
is  but  one  line  of  rails  laid  for  the  tramway  service, 
so  that  a  person  goes  out  of  town,  say  to  Palermo, 
by  one  system  of  streets  and  returns  by  another. 
These  cars  move  rapidly.  A  considerable  distance  is 
covered  in  a  brief  time,  the  motive  power  being  small 
horses.  An  almost  continuous  line  of  cars,  with 
scarcely  a  break,  is  passing  any  given  point  from  early 
morning  iintil  night,  and  the  citizens  are  liberal  pa- 
trons of  them.  We  saw  some  statistics  relating  to  the 
number  of  persons  carried  by  the  tramways  of  this 
city  annually,  which  were  simply  amazing,  and  which 


PLAZA  RE  TIRO.  259 

would  make  the  management  of  the  West  End  Rail- 
way of  Boston  "grow  green  with  jealousy,  or  pallid 
with  despair."  Of  course  all  this  has  been  tempora- 
rily affected  by  the  present  financial  crisis.  As  we 
have  tried  to  show,  Buenos  Ayres  is  a  wonderfully 
busy  city,  in  which  respect  it  resembles  our  own  coun- 
try much  more  than  it  does  the  average  capitals  of 
the  south.  There  is  none  of  the  visible  languor  and 
spirit  of  delay  which  usually  strikes  one  in  tropical 
centres.  People  get  up  in  the  morning  wide  awake, 
and  go  promptly  to  business.  There  is  no  closing  of 
the  shops  at  midday  here,  as  there  is  in  Havana, 
Santiago,  the  capital  of  Chili,  or  some  of  the  Mexican 
cities,  so  that  clerks  may  absent  themselves  for  dinner 
or  to  enjoy  a  siesta.  A  much  more  convenient  course 
for  both  clerks  and  patrons  is  adopted,  which  does 
not  block  the  wheels  of  trade.  The  idea  of  clos- 
ing stores  at  midday  to  steal  a  couple  of  hours  for 
eating  and  sleeping  is  a  bit  of  Rip  Van  Winkleism 
entirely  unworthy  of  the  go-ahead  spirit  of  the  nine- 
teenth century. 

The  Plaza  Retiro  is  as  large  as  the  Plaza  Victoria, 
and  occupies  the  spot  where  in  old  Spanish  days  the 
hateful  exhibitions  of  the  bull-fights  were  given.  In- 
deed, this  square  was  formerly  known  as  the  Plaza 
de  Toros.  Many  historical  interests  hang  about  the 
locality,  around  which  the  rich  merchants  of  the  city 
have  erected  some  palatial  residences,  faced  to  a 
certain  height  with  marble  on  the  outside.  These 
domestic   retreats   have   courtyards   constructed   one 


260  EQUATORIAL   AMERICA. 

beyond  another,  covering  a  considerable  depth,  and 
forming  a  series  of  patios,  each  appropriated  to  some 
special  domestic  use,  —  the  dining  court,  the  recep- 
tion court,  and  the  nursery.  In  this  square,  and  also 
in  the  Plaza  Victoria,  there  are  always  plenty  of 
hackney  coaches  to  be  found  awaiting  hire,  and  it 
should  be  remarked  that  charges  are  very  reasonable 
for  this  service  in  Buenos  Ay  res. 

There  are  thirteen  theatres  in  the  city,  and  an  admi- 
rable museum.  The  latter,  rich  in  antiquities,  is  noted 
for  its  prehistoric  remains  of  animals  which  once  lived 
in  the  southern  part  of  this  continent,  but  whose  spe- 
cies have  long  been  extinct.  This  particular  museum 
is  advantageously  known  to  scientists  all  over  the 
world.  The  Colon  Theatre  is  a  large,  well-equipped, 
and  imposing  place  of  entertainment,  as  much  so  as 
the  Theatre  Fran^aise,  Paris,  and  takes  a  high  posi- 
tion in  representations  of  the  legitimate  drama  and 
the  production  of  the  better  spectacular  plays.  This 
house  adopts  what  is  called  here  the  cazuela  in  the 
division  of  its  auditorium,  an  excellent  system,  very 
general  in  South  American  theatres,  and  we  believe, 
nowhere  else.  It  consists  in  giving  up  the  entire  sec- 
ond tier  of  boxes  or  seats  to  the  exclusive  use  of  un- 
attended ladies,  an  arrangement  which  seemed  to  us 
strongly  to  recommend  itself.  To  this  division  of  the 
auditorium  there  is  a  separate  entrance  from  the 
street,  and  no  gentlemen  are  admitted  under  any  pre- 
text whatever.  So  those  who  desire  to  come  to  the 
entertainments  quite  unattended  can  do  so  with  per- 


NOISY   THOROUGHFARES.  261 

feet  propriety,  and  are  safe  from  all  intrusion  in  this 
isolated  position.  The  ladies  of  this  city,  when  they 
appear  in  public,  dress  very  elegantly,  following 
closely  North  American  and  European  styles,  while 
displaying  the  choicest  imported  materials  well  made 
up.  Perhaps  comparisons  are  invidious,  but  we  feel 
inclined  to  accord  precedence  in  the  matter  of  per- 
sonal beauty  to  those  of  Montevideo.  In  dress,  how- 
ever, the  ladies  of  Buenos  Ayres  certainly  excel  them. 
Each  city  has  its  local  "Worth,"  but  many  dresses 
are  made  in  Paris  and  imported,  regardless  of  ex- 
pense. 

There  may  be  somewhere  a  noisier  city  than  Buenos 
Ayres,  as  regards  street  life  in  the  business  section, 
but  London  or  New  York  cannot  rival  it  in  this  re- 
spect. Undoubtedly  this  is  owing  in  a  measure  to 
the  fact  that  the  traffic  of  so  large  and  busy  a  metrop- 
olis is  crowded  into  such  narrow  thoroughfares,  barely 
thirty  feet  in  width,  and  often  less  than  that,  a  portion 
of  which  space  is  taken  up  by  the  tramway  tracks. 
The  noisy  vehicles  which  run  on  these  rails  make 
their  full  share  of  the  racket  and  hubbub.  Here,  as 
in  the  cities  of  Mexico  and  Puebla,  the  drivers  of  the 
cars  are  supplied  each  with  a  tin  horn,  hung  about  his 
neck,  or  suspended  from  the  car  front,  upon  which  he 
exercises  his  limgs,  producing  ear-piercing  and  dis- 
cordant notes.  Wheels  and  hoofs  upon  the  uneven 
pavements  increase  the  din,  supplemented  by  shouts 
and  language  more  forcible  than  proper,  uttered  by 
enraged  teamsters  because  of  the  frequent  blocking  of 


262  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

the  roadway.  Add  to  these  diilcet  sounds  the  cries  of 
itinerant  fruit  venders,  fancy-goods  sellers,  and  the 
shouts  of  persistent  newsboys,  and  one  has  some  idea 
of  the  irritating  uproar  which  rages  all  day  long  in 
the  older  streets  of  Buenos  Ay  res. 

Cows  and  mares  are  driven  singly  or  in  groups 
through  the  streets  of  this  city,  and  milked  at  the 
customers'  doors,  so  that  one  is  nearly  certain  of  get- 
ting the  genuine  article  in  this  line,  though  we  were 
assured  that  some  roguish  dealers  carry  an  india-rub- 
ber tube  and  flat  bag  under  their  clothing  from  which 
they  slyly  extract  a  portion  of  water  to  "extend"  the 
lacteal  fluid.  "Is  there  no  honesty  extant?  "  Adul- 
teration seems  to  have  become  an  instinct  of  trade. 
Asses  are  still  driven  through  the  streets  of  Paris,  in 
the  early  mornings,  and  the  milk  obtained  from  them 
is  distributed  in  the  same  manner,  whether  with  a 
slight  adidteration  of  water  or  not,  we  are  unable  to 
say.  It  is  not  uncommon  at  Buenos  Ayres  to  see  a 
person  served  on  the  street  with  fresh  milk  just  drawn 
from  the  animal,  which  he  drinks  on  the  spot.  A 
very  refreshing,  modest,  and  nutritious  morning  tip- 
ple. Mares,  as  before  mentioned,  are  not  used  for 
working  or  riding  in  this  country,  but  are  kept  solely 
for  breeding  purposes  and  to  furnish  milk.  This  ar- 
ticle is  considered  to  be  more  nourishing  for  invalids 
and  children  than  cow's  milk,  and  is  often  prescribed 
as  a  regular  diet  by  the  physicians. 

The  grand  driving  park  of  the  capital,  known  by  the 
name  of  Third  of  February,  is  situated  at  Palermo, 


ENVIRONS   OF    THE  CITY.  263 

some  distance  from  the  city  proper,  and  covers  between 
eight  and  nine  hundred  acres.  On  certain  days,  es- 
pecially on  Sundays,  a  military  band  gives  a  public 
outdoor  concert  here,  when  all  the  beauty  and  fashion 
of  the  city  turn  out  in  gay  equipages  to  see  and  to  be 
seen,  forming  also  a  grand  and  spirited  cavalcade  of 
fine  horses  and  carriages.  The  races  take  place  at 
Palermo,  and,  as  in  all  Roman  Catholic  countries,  on 
Sundays. 

The  neighborhood  of  Buenos  Ayres  is  generally 
under  good  cultivation,  the  soil  and  climate  uniting 
to  produce  splendid  agricidtural  results.  The  sub- 
urbs of  Flores  and  Belgrano  each  present  a  very 
pretty  group  of  quintas  and  gardens,  wherein  great 
skill  and  refinement  of  taste  is  evinced.  The  alfalfa, 
a  species  of  clover  used  here  in  a  green  condition  as 
fodder  for  cattle,  and  which  is  as  rich  as  the  red  clover 
of  New  England,  to  which  family  of  grasses  it  be- 
longs, grows  so  rapidly  and  ripens  so  promptly  that 
three  crops  are  often  realized  from  the  same  field  in  a 
single  season.  The  immediate  environs  of  the  city 
are  occupied  by  private  residences,  many  of  which  are 
very  elaborate  and  imposing,  surrounded  by  charming 
gardens  and  pleasure  grounds.  Grottoes,  statuary,  and 
fountains  abound,  while  orchards  of  various  fruits  are 
common,  interspersed  here  and  there  with  picturesque 
graperies.  Some  of  the  highways  are  guarded  by 
hedges  of  cactus,  —  agave^  —  much  more  impenetrable 
than  any  artificial  fencing.  Trees  of  the  eucalyptus 
family  have  heretofore  been  favorites  here,  originally 


264  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

imported  from  Australia,  but  they  have  ceased  to  be  de- 
sirable, since  it  appears  that  nothing  will  grow  in  their 
shadow.  They  seem  to  exercise  a  blighting  no wer  on 
other  species  of  vegetation.  Figs,  peaches,  and  oranges 
grow  side  by  side,  surrounded  by  other  fruits,  while 
the  low-lying  fields  and  open  meadows  nearest  to  the 
river  are  divided  into  large  squares  of  three  or  four 
acres  each,  enameled  with  the  deep  green  of  the  thick 
growing  aKalf a,  and  other  crops  varying  in  color  after 
their  kind.  Richest  of  all  are  the  intensely  yellow 
fields  of  ripening  wheat  still  farther  inland,  whose 
softly  imdvdating  surface,  gently  yielding  to  the  pass- 
ing breeze,  produces  long,  widespread  floating  ripples 
of  golden  light. 

The  love  of  flowers  is  a  passion  among  all  classes  of 
the  people,  and  their  cultivation  as  a  business  by  ex- 
perienced individuals  gives  profitable  employment  to 
many  florists,  whose  grounds  are  pictures  of  accumu- 
lated beauty,  fragrance,  and  variety  of  hues.  There  is 
as  true  harmony  to  the  eye  in  such  blendings  as  there 
is  to  the  ear  in  perfect  music.  The  reader  may  be 
sure  that  where  the  children  of  Flora  so  much  abound, 
bright  tinted  humming-birds  do  much  more  abound, 
dainty  little  living  feathered  gems,  rivaling  rubies, 
sapphires,  and  emeralds. 

To  insure  the  good  health  of  her  large  and  increas- 
ing population,  the  system  of  drainage  in  Buenos  Ayres 
requires  prompt  and  effectual  treatment.  The  natural 
fall  of  the  ground  towards  the  river  is  hardly  sufficient 
to  second  any  engineering  effort  to  this  end.     That 


EXTENT  OF  TERRITORY.  265 

typhoid  fever  shoiJd  prevail  here  to  the  extent  which 
it  does,  at  nearly  all  seasons  of  the  year,  is  a  terrible 
reflection  upon  those  in  authority.  This  is  a  fatal 
disease  which  is  quite  preventable,  and  in  this  instance 
clearly  traceable  to  obvious  causes.  Rio  Janeiro,  with 
its  yellow  fever  scourge,  is  hardly  more  seriously 
afflicted  than  Buenos  Ayres  with  its  typhoid  malaria. 
Indeed,  it  is  contended  by  some  persons  living  on  the 
coast  that  the  number  of  deaths  per  annum  in  the  two 
cities  arising  from  these  causes  is  very  nearly  equal, 
taking  into  account  the  results  of  year  after  year. 
Sometimes,  unaccountably,  Rio  escapes  the  fever  for  a 
twelvemonth,  that  is  to  say,  some  seasons  it  does  not 
rage  as  an  epidemic  ;  but  we  fear,  if  the  truth  were 
fairly  expressed,  it  would  be  found  that  the  seeds  are 
there  aU  the  while,  and  that  the  city  of  Rio  Janeiro, 
like  that  of  Vera  Cruz  on  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  is  never 
absolutely  exempt  from  occasional  cases. 

The  Argentine  Republic  contains  more  than  a  mil- 
lion square  miles,  as  already  stated;  indeed,  immen- 
sity may  be  said  to  be  one  of  its  most  manifest  char- 
acteristics. The  plains,  the  woods,  the  rivers,  are 
colossal.  To  be  sure,  all  of  her  territory  is  not,  strictly 
speaking,  available  land,  suitable  for  agricultural  pur- 
poses, any  more  than  is  the  case  in  our  own  wide- 
spread country.  No  other  nation  equals  this  republic 
in  the  value  of  cattle,  compared  with  the  number  of 
the  population,  not  forgetting  Australia  with  its 
immense  sheep  and  cattle  ranches.  It  is  believed, 
nevertheless,  that  the  agricultural  interest  here,  as  in 


266  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

Uruguay,  is  gradually  increasing  in  such  ratio  that 
it  will  erelong  rival  the  pastoral.  The  average  soil  is 
very  similar  to  that  of  our  Mississippi  valley,  yielding 
a  satisfactory  succession  of  crops  without  the  aid  of 
any  artificial  enrichment.  The  pampas  have  a  mel- 
low, dry  soil,  the  common  grass  growing  in  tussocks 
to  the  height  of  three  or  four  feet,  and  possessing  a  pe- 
rennial vigor  which  mostly  crowds  out  other  vegeta- 
tion. A  few  wild  flowers  are  occasionally  seen,  and  in 
the  marshy  places  lilies  of  several  species  are  to  be  met 
with ;  but  taken  all  together  the  flora  of  the  pampas 
is  the  poorest  of  any  fertile  district  with  which  we 
are  acquainted.  A  few  haK-developed  herbs  and 
trefoils  occasionally  meet  the  eye,  together  with  small 
patches  of  wild  verbenas  of  various  colors.  At  long 
distances  from  each  other  one  comes  upon  areas  of  tall 
pampas  grass  as  it  is  called,  so  stocky  as  to  be  almost 
like  the  bamboo,  eight  or  ten  feet  high,  decked  with 
fleecy,  white  plumes.  Birds  are  scarce  on  the  pam- 
pas. There  is  a  peculiar  species  of  hare,  besides  some 
animals  of  the  rodent  family,  resembling  prairie-dogs 
—  hiscachos  —  or  overgrown  rats,  together  with  an 
occasional  jaguar  and  ptmia,  found  on  these  plains,  as 
well  as  that  meanest  of  all  animals,  the  pestiferous 
skunk.  Animal  life,  other  than  the  herds  of  wild  cat- 
tle, can  hardly  be  said  to  abound  on  the  pampas. 

Until  a  few  years  since,  Buenos  Ayres  enjoyed  the 
distinction  of  being  the  capital  of  the  province  of  the 
same  name,  as  also  of  the  Argentine  Republic;  but 
the  present  capital  of  the  province  of  Buenos  Ayres, 


A   NEW  CITY.  267 

called  La  Plata,  is  situated  about  forty  miles  south- 
east of  Buenos  Ayres,  with  which  it  is  connected  by 
railway.  The  site  of  the  new  capital  was  an  uninhab- 
ited wilderness  ten  years  ago,  the  foundation  stone 
of  this  city  having  been  laid  in  1882.  To-day  La 
Plata  has  a  population  of  about  fifty  thousand,  al- 
though over  seventy  are  claimed  for  it,  a  comprehen- 
sive system  of  tramways,  broad,  well-paved  streets, 
two  theatres,  thirty  public  schools,  a  national  college, 
and  six  large  hotels.  There  are  many  monuments  and 
fountains  ornamenting  the  thoroughfares,  and  what  is 
now  wanting  is  a  population  commensurate  with  the 
grand  scale  on  which  the  capital  is  designed.  An  im- 
mense cathedral  is  being  built,  but  has  only  reached 
a  little  way  above  its  foimdation,  as  work  upon  it 
has  for  a  while  been  suspended.  If  the  original  plan 
is  fully  carried  out,  it  may  be  half  a  century  or 
more  in  course  of  construction.  La  Plata  is  suffering 
from  the  pecuniary  crisis  perhaps  more  seriously  than 
any  other  part  of  the  country.  The  city  is  lighted  by 
both  electricity  and  gas,  issues  five  daily  newspapers, 
has  a  very  complete  astronomical  observatory,  a  pub- 
lic library,  five  railroad  stations,  and  some  very  ele- 
gant public  buildings.  Its  large  possibilities  are  by 
no  means  improved,  however.  Of  the  buildings,  the 
edifice  of  the  provincial  legislature,  that  of  the  min- 
ister of  finance,  and  the  legislative  palace  are  all  wor- 
thy of  mention.  The  government  house  is  a  long,  low 
structure,  the  front  view  of  which  is  rendered  effec- 
tive by  an  added  story  in  the  centre,  which  projects 


268  EQUATORIAL   AMERICA. 

from  the  line  of  the  building,  and  is  supported  by  high 
columns.  The  "Palace,"  as  it  is  called,  forming  the 
residence  of  the  governor  of  the  province,  is  an  elab- 
orate and  pretentious  building,  three  stories  in  height, 
with  two  flanking  domes  and  a  dominating  one  in  the 
centre.  Of  course  La  Plata  has  gained  its  start  and 
rapid  growth  from  the  prestige  of  being  the  provincial 
capital,  but  it  is  now  slowly  developing  a  legitimate 
growth  on  a  sound  business  basis,  and  though  it  can 
hardly  be  expected  to  ever  equal  Buenos  Ayres  in  pop- 
idation  and  commercial  importance,  it  nevertheless 
promises  to  be  a  prosperous  city  in  the  distant  future ; 
its  citizens  already  call  it  the  "  Washington  "  of  South 
America.  A  close  observer  could  not  but  notice  that 
many  houses  were  unoccupied,  and  the  streets  seemed 
half  deserted. 

While  the  most  of  our  maps  and  geographies  re- 
main pretty  much  as  they  were  a  score  of  years  ago, 
and  a  majority  of  the  kingdoms  of  the  Old  World  have 
changed  scarcely  at  all,  the  Argentine  Republic  has 
been  steadily  growing  in  popidation,  progressing  rap- 
idly in  intelligence,  constantly  extending  its  commer- 
cial relations,  and  marching  all  the  while  towards  the 
front  rank  of  modem  civilization.  A  detailed  state- 
ment of  its  extraordinary  development  during  the  last 
twenty  years,  in  commerce,  railway  connections, 
schools,  agriculture,  and  general  wealth,  would  sur- 
prise the  most  intelligent  reader.  It  is  believed  by 
experienced  and  conservative  people,  particularly  those 
conversant  with  the  South  American  republics,  that 


PROGRESS   OF  ARGENTINA.  269 

Buenos  Ayres  will  be  the  first  city  south  of  the  equator 
in  commercial  rank  and  population,  within  a  quarter 
of  a  century.  The  increase  of  this  republic  in  popu- 
lation during  the  last  two  decades  has  been  over  one 
hundred  and  fifty  per  cent.,  a  rapidity  of  growth  al- 
most without  precedent.  The  increase  of  population 
in  our  own  country,  during  the  same  period,  was  less 
than  eighty  per  cent.  Twenty -four  lines  of  magnifi- 
cent steamships  connect  the  Argentine  Republic  with 
Europe,  and  twice  that  number  of  vessels  sail  back 
and  forth  each  month  of  the  year,  while  its  railway 
system  embraces  over  six  thousand  miles  of  road  in 
operation,  besides  one  or  two  yet  incomplete  routes, 
though  the  opening  of  its  first  line  was  so  late  as 
thirty -four  years  ago.  Add  to  this  her  system  of  in- 
land river  navigation,  covering  thousands  of  miles, 
which  has  been  so  systematized  as  to  fuUy  supplement 
the  remarkable  railway  facilities. 

That  Argentina  rests  at  the  present  moment,  as 
we  have  constantly  intimated,  under  a  financial  cloud 
is  only  too  well  known  to  every  one.  It  is  a  crisis 
brought  about  by  an  overhaste  in  the  development  of 
the  country,  especially  in  railroad  enterprises,  i^es- 
tina  lente  is  a  good  soimd  maxim,  which  the  people 
of  this  republic  have  quite  disregarded,  and  for  which 
they  and  their  creditors  are  suffering  accordingly.  It 
is  seldom  that  any  newly  developed  country  escapes 
the  maladies  attendant  upon  too  rapid  growth,  but 
this  is  a  sort  of  illness  pretty  sure  to  remedy  itself  in 
due  time,  and  rarely  impedes  the  proper  development 


270  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

of  maturer  years.  If  this  republic  has  been  unduly 
extravagant,  and  borrowed  too  much  money  in  advan- 
cing her  material  interests,  she  has  at  least  something 
to  show  for  it.  The  funds  have  not  been  foolishly 
expended  in  sustaining  worse  than  useless  hordes  of 
armed  men,  nor  in  the  profitless  support  of  royal 
puppets. 

Nations  no  less  than  individuals  are  liable  to  finan- 
cial failure,  but  with  her  grand  and  inexhaustible  na- 
tive resources,  backed  by  the  energy  of  her  adopted 
citizens,  this  republic  is  as  sure  as  anything  mortal  can 
be  to  soon  recover  from  her  present  business  depres- 
sion, and  to  astonish  the  world  at  large  by  the  rapid- 
ity of  her  financial  recuperation.  Her  present  annual 
crop  of  wool  exceeds  all  former  record  in  amount, 
and  is  authoritatively  estimated  at  over  thirty  million 
dollars  in  value.  To  this  large  industrial  product 
is  to  be  added  her  prolific  harvest  of  maize  and  wheat, 
together  with  an  almost  fabulous  amount  of  valuable 
hides. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

City  of  Rosario.  —  Its  Population.  —  A  Pretentious  Church.  —  Ocean 
Experiences.  —  Morbid  Fancies.  —  Strait  of  Magellan.  —  A  Great 
Discoverer.  —  Local  Characteristics.  —  Patagonians  and  Fuegians.  — 
Giant  Kelp.  —  Unique  Mail  Box.  —  Punta  Arenas.  —  An  Ex-Penal 
Colony.  —  The  Albatross.  —  Natives.  —  A  Naked  People.  —  Whales. 
—  iSea-Birds.  —  Glaciers.  —  Mount  Sarmiento.  —  A  Singular  Story. 

The  route  to  Rosario  is  rather  monotonous  by  rail- 
way, taking  the  traveler  through  a  very  flat  but  fer- 
tile region,  over  prairies  which  are  virtually  treeless, 
not  iinlike  long  reaches  of  country  through  which  the 
Canadian  Pacific  Railroad  passes  between  Banff,  in 
the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  Port  Arthur,  on  Lake  Su- 
perior. The  monotonous  scenery  is  varied  only  by  a 
sight  of  occasional  herds  of  cattle,  feeding  upon  the 
rich  grass,  with  here  and  there  a  mounted  herdsman, 
and  the  numberless  telegraph  poles  which  line  the 
track.  It  is  at  least  a  seven  hours'  journey  from 
Buenos  Ayres  to  Rosario.  Occasionally  a  marshy 
reach  of  soil  is  encountered  where  large  aquatic  birds 
are  seen,  such  as  flamingoes,  storks,  cranes,  herons, 
and  the  like. 

Rosario,  in  the  province  of  Santa  Fe,  is  the  second 
city  in  point  of  population  and  importance  in  the 
Argentine  Republic.  It  is  a  young  and  promising 
capital,  hardly  yet  fairly  launched  upon  its  voyage  of 


272  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

prosperity,  but  so  far  it  has  been  singularly  favored  by 
various  circumstances.  The  place  is  arranged  in  the 
usual  crisscross  manner  as  regards  the  streets  of  this 
country,  which,  unfortunately,  are  too  narrow  for 
even  its  present  limited  business.  In  place  of  twenty- 
four  feet  they  should  have  been  laid  out  at  least 
double  that  width,  in  the  light  of  all  experience  has 
developed  in  these  South  American  cities.  This  new 
town  is  situated  a  little  less  than  three  hundred  miles 
by  water  from  Buenos  Ayres,  and  about  two  hundred 
by  land,  i^ilroad  and  steamboat  connection  being 
regularly  maintained  between  them.  The  site  is  admi- 
rably chosen  on  the  banks  of  the  Parana  River,  fifty 
or  sixty  feet  above  its  level,  and  it  is  destined  to  be- 
come, eventually,  a  great  commercial  centre.  In  1854 
it  was  only  a  large  village,  containing  some  four  thou- 
sand people.  It  is  the  natural  seaport,  not  only  of 
the  rich  province  of  Cordova,  but  also  of  the  more  in- 
land districts,  Mendoza,  San  Luis,  Tucmnan,  Salta, 
and  Jujuy,  the  first  named  having  a  population  of  half 
a  million.  Owing  to  the  height  of  the  river's  banks, 
merchandise  is  loaded  by  "  shutes,"  being  thus  con- 
ducted at  once  from  the  warehouses  to  the  hatches  of 
the  vessels.  Already  a  nimiber  of  foreign  steamships 
may  be  seen  almost  any  day  lying  at  anchor  opposite 
the  town,  while  the  railway  communications  in  various 
directions  have  all  of  their  transportation  capacity 
fully  employed.  One  of  these  lines  reaches  almost 
across  the  continent  to  Mendoza,  at  the  eastern  slope 
of  the  Andes,  west  from  Rosario.     Other  roads  run 


PROGRESS   OF  ROSARIO.  273 

both  north  and  south  from  here.  The  foreign  and 
domestic  trade  of  the  place  is  second  only  to  that  of 
Buenos  Ayres.  Vessels  drawing  fifteen  feet  of  water 
ascend  the  river  to  this  point.  As  a  shipping  port, 
Rosario  has  to  a  certain  extent  special  advantages  even 
over  the  larger  city,  being  two  or  three  himdred  miles 
nearer  the  merchandise  producing  points. 

There  is  already  a  popidation  of  some  seventy-five 
thousand  here,  and,  as  we  have  intimated,  the  city  is 
growing  rapidly.  Wharves,  docks,  and  warehouses 
are  in  coiu^se  of  construction,  and  can  hardly  be  finished 
fast  enough  to  meet  the  demand  for  their  use.  There 
are  a  few  substantial  and  handsome  dwellings  being 
erected,  and  many  of  a  more  ordinary  class,  in  the 
finishing  of  which  many  a  cargo  of  New  England 
lumber  is  consmned.  Some  of  the  public  buildings 
are  imposing  in  size  and  architectural  design,  wisely 
constructed  in  anticipation  of  the  future  size  of  the 
city,  whose  rapid  growth  is  only  equaled  by  St. 
Paul  in  Brazil.  The  tramway,  gas,  and  telephone 
have  been  successfully  introduced.  There  is  certainly 
no  lack  of  enterprise  evinced  in  all  legitimate  business 
directions,  while  attention  is  being  very  properly  and 
promptly  turned  towards  perfecting  a  carefully  devised 
educational  system  of  free  schools,  primary  and  pro- 
gressive. When  the  founders  of  a  new  city  begin  in 
this  intelligent  fashion,  we  may  be  very  sure  that  they 
are  moving  in  the  right  direction,  and  that  permanency, 
together  with  abundant  present  success,  is  sure  to  be 
the  sequence. 


274  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

On  one  side  of  the  Plaza  Mayor  of  Rosario  stands 
a  very  pretentious  church,  not  yet  quite  completed, 
but  as  the  towers  and  dome  are  finished  it  makes  a 
prominent  feature  from  a  long  way  oiff,  as  one  ap- 
proaches the  town.  In  the  centre  of  this  square  is  a 
marble  shaft  surmounted  by  a  figure  representing 
Victory,  and  at  the  base  are  four  statues  of  Argentine 
historic  characters.  This  square  is  adorned  with  a 
double  row  of  handsome  acacias.  As  regards  amuse- 
ments, so  far  as  is  visible,  theatricals  seem  to  take  the 
lead,  the  place  having  two  theatres,  both  of  which 
appear  to  be  enjoying  a  thriving  business. 

When  a  new  city  is  started  in  South  America  upon 
a  site  so  well  selected,  and  after  so  thoroughly  sub- 
stantial a  plan,  the  result  is  no  problem.  The  influx 
of  European  immigrants  promptly  supplies  the  neces- 
sary laborei-s  and  artisans,  quite  as  fast,  indeed,  as 
they  are  required,  while  the  ordinary  growth  and  de- 
velopment of  inland  resources  tax  the  local  business 
capacity,  enterprise,  and  capital  to  their  utmost.  Ro- 
sario  needs  to  perfect  a  careful  and  thorough  system 
of  drainage.  Fevers  are  at  present  alarmingly  prev- 
alent, arising  from  causes  which  judicious  attention 
and  sanitary  means  would  easily  obviate. 

We  will  not  weary  the  reader  by  protracted  delay 
at  this  point,  having  still  a  long  voyage  before  us. 

Embarking  at  Montevideo,  our  way  is  southward 
over  a  broad  and  lonely  track  of  ocean.  If  we  can 
summon  a  degree  of  philosophy  to  our  aid,  it  is  for- 
tunate.    Without  genial  companions,  surrounded  by 


FOREBODINGS  OF  EVIL.  275 

strangers,  and  thrown  entirely  upon  ourselves,  mental 
resort  often  fails  us,  life  appears  sombre,  the  wide, 
wide  ocean  almost  appalling.  One  of  the  inevitable 
trials  of  a  long  sea  voyage  is  the  wakeful  hours  which 
will  occasionally  visit  the  most  experienced  traveler, 
—  midnight  hours,  when  the  weary  brain  becomes  pre- 
ternaturally  active,  the  imagination  oversensitive  and 
weird  in  its  erratic  conceptions,  while  forebodings  of 
evil  which  never  happens  are  apt  to  fill  the  mind 
with  morbid  anxieties.  The  very  silence  of  the  sur- 
roundings is  impressive,  interrupted  only  by  the  reg- 
ular throbbing  of  the  great,  tireless  engine,  and  the 
dashing  waters  chafing  along  the  iron  hull  close  beside 
the  wakeful  dreamer.  Separated  by  thousands  of 
miles  from  home,  all  communication  cut  off  with 
friends  and  the  world  at  large,  while  watching  the 
dreary  ocean,  day  after  day,  week  after  week,  we 
imagine  endless  misfortunes  that  may  have  come  to 
dear  ones  on  shore.  However  limited  may  be  the 
world  of  reality,  that  of  the  imagination  is  boundless, 
and  sometimes  one  realizes  years  of  wretched  anxiety 
in  the  space  of  a  few  overwrought  hours.  It  is  such 
moments  of  passive  misery  which  beget  wrinkles  and 
white  hairs.  Action  is  the  only  rehef ,  and  one  hastens 
to  the  deck  for  a  change  of  scene  and  thoughts.  After 
experiencing  such  a  night,  how  glad  and  glorious 
seems  the  sun  rising  out  of  the  wide  waste  of  waters, 
how  bright  and  glowing  the  smile  he  casts  upon  the 
long  lazy  swell  of  the  South  Atlantic,  as  if  pointedly 
to  rebuke  the  overwrought  fancy,  and  reassure  the 
aching  heart! 


276  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

Be  we  never  so  dreary,  the  great  ship  speeds  on  its 
course,  heeding  us  not ;  its  busy  motor,  like  heart- 
beats, throbs  with  undisturbed  uniformity,  forcing  the 
vessel  onward  despite  the  joy  or  sorrow  of  those  it 
carries  within  its  capacious  hull. 

The  Strait  of  Magellan,  which  divides  South  Amer- 
ica from  the  mysterious  island  group  which  is  known 
as  Terra  del  Fuego,  and  connects  the  Atlantic  with  the 
Pacific  Ocean  by  a  most  intricate  water-way,  is  con- 
siderably less  than  four  hundred  miles  in  length,  and 
of  various  widths.  De  Lesseps,  with  his  successful 
Suez  Canal  and  his  deplorable  Panama  failure,  is 
quite  distanced  by  the  hand  of  Nature  in  this  line  of 
business.  It  would  require  about  ten  thousand  Suez 
Canals  to  make  a  Magellan  Strait,  and  then  it  would 
be  but  a  very  sorry  imitation.  It  will  be  remembered 
that  the  Portuguese  navigator  who  discovered  this 
remarkable  passage,  and  for  whom  it  is  justly  named, 
first  passed  through  it  in  November,  1520,  finally 
emerging  into  the  waters  of  the  new  sea,  upon  which 
he  was  the  first  to  sail,  and  which  he  named  Mar 
Pacifico.  Doubtless  it  seemed  "  pacific  "  to  him  after 
his  rude  experience  in  the  South  Atlantic,  but  the 
author  has  known  as  rough  weather  in  this  misnamed 
ocean  as  he  has  ever  encountered  in  any  part  of  the 
globe. 

One  can  well  conceive  of  the  elation  and  surprise  of 
Magellan,  upon  emerging  from  the  intricate  passage 
through  which  he  had  been  struggling  to  make  his 
way  for  so  many  weary  days.     What  a  sensation  of 


STRAIT  OF  MAGELLAN.  211 

satisfaction  and  triumph  must  the  courageous  and  per- 
severing navigator  have  experienced  at  the  discovery 
he  had  made !  What  mattered  all  his  weary  hours  of 
watching,  of  self-abnegation,  of  cold  and  hunger,  of 
incessant  battling  with  the  raging  sea?  Henceforth 
to  him  royal  censure  or  royal  largess  mattered  Httle. 
His  name  woidd  descend  to  all  future  generations  as 
the  great  discoverer  of  this  almost  limitless  ocean. 

The  passage  leading  to  the  strait  on  the  Atlantic  or 
eastern  end  is  about  twenty  miles  across.  Cape  Ver- 
gens  being  on  the  starboard  side,  and  Cape  Espiritu 
Santo  —  or  Cape  Holy  Ghost  —  on  the  port.  The 
entrance  on  the  western  or  Pacific  end  is  marked  by 
Cape  Pillar,  Desolation  Land,  where  the  scenery  is 
far  more  rugged  and  mountainous,  the  cape  terminat- 
ing in  two  cliffs,  shaped  so  much  like  artificial  towers 
as  to  be  quite  deceptive  at  a  short  distance.  The  nar- 
rowest part  of  the  strait  is  about  one  mile  in  width, 
known  to  mariners  as  Crooked  Reach.  A  passage 
through  this  great  natural  canal  is  an  experience  sim- 
ilar, in  some  respects,  to  that  of  sailing  in  the  inland 
sea  of  Alaska,  between  Victoria  and  Glacier  Bay, 
bringing  into  view  dense  forests,  immense  glaciers, 
abrupt  mountain  peaks,  and  snow-covered  summits, 
the  whole  shrouded  in  the  same  solitude  and  silence, 
varied  by  the  occasional  flight  of  sea-birds  or  the  ap- 
pearance of  seals  and  porpoises  from  below  the  deep 
waters.  So  irregular  in  its  course  is  this  passage  be- 
tween the  two  great  oceans,  so  changeable  are  its  cur- 
rents, so  impeded  by  dangerous   rocks  and  hidden 


278  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

shoals,  so  beset  with  squalls  and  sudden  storms,  that 
sailing  vessels  are  forced  to  double  the  ever-dreaded 
Cape  Horn  rather  than  take  the  Magellan  route.  A 
United  States  man-of-war,  a  sailing  ship,  was  once  over 
two  months  in  making  the  passage  through  the  strait, 
and  Magellan  tells  us  that  he  was  thirty-seven  days  in 
passing  from  ocean  to  ocean,  though  using  all  ordinary 
dispatch.  Within  a  fortnight  of  the  writing  of  these 
notes,  a  European  mail  steamship  was  lost  here  by 
striking  upon  a  sunken  rock.  Fortunately,  owing  to 
the  proximity  of  the  shore  and  moderate  weather  pre- 
vailing, the  crew  and  passengers  were  all  saved. 

Winter  lingers,  and  the  days  are  short  in  this  lati- 
tude. A  sailing  ship  would  be  compelled  to  find  anchor- 
age nightly,  and  some  days  would  perhaps  be  driven 
back  in  a  few  hours  a  distance  which  it  had  required  a 
week  to  make  in  her  proper  direction.  Steamships  usu- 
ally accomplish  the  run  in  from  thirty  to  forty  hours, 
there  being  many  reaches  where  it  is  necessary  to  run 
only  at  half  speed.  If  heavy  fogs  and  bad  weather 
prevail,  they  often  lay  by  during  the  night,  and  also  in 
snow-storms,  which  occur  not  infrequently.  The  sky 
is  seldom  clear  for  many  hours  together,  and  the  sun's 
warmth  is  rarely  felt,  the  rain  falling  almost  daily. 
Even  in  the  summer  of  this  high  southern  latitude 
the  nights  are  cold  and  gloomy,  ice  nearly  always 
forming.  It  must  be  admitted  that  this  region,  of  it- 
self, is  not  calculated  to  attract  the  most  inveterate 
wanderer.  One  is  not  surprised  when  reading  the 
rather  startling  narrations  of  the  old  navigators  who 


FUEGIANS  AND  PATAGONIANS.  279 

made  the  passage  of  the  strait,,  encountering  the  con- 
stantly varying  winds,  and  having  canvas  only  to  de- 
pend upon.  The  marvel  is  that,  with  their  primitive 
means,  they  should  have  accomplished  so  much.  There 
are  no  lighthouses  in  this  passage  from  ocean  to  ocean, 
though  it  has  been  pretty  well  surveyed  and  buoyed 
in  late  years,  thanks  to  the  liberality  of  the  English 
naval  service,  by  whom  this  was  done.  There  is,  in 
fact,  a  dearth  of  lighthouses  on  the  entire  coast  of 
South  America,  especially  on  the  west  side  of  the  con- 
tinent. We  can  recall  but  three  between  Montevideo 
and  Valparaiso,  a  distance,  by  way  of  the  strait,  of 
fully  two  thousand  miles.  The  lighthouses  we  refer 
to  are  at  Punta  Arenas,  Punta  Galesa,  near  Valdivia, 
and  that  which  marks  the  port  of  Concepcion,  at 
Talcahuano.  The  Strait  of  Magellan  is  only  fit  as  an 
abiding-place  for  seals,  waterfowl,  and  otters ;  hu- 
manity can  hardly  find  congenial  foothold  here. 

The  natives  of  Patagonia,  who  live  on  the  northern 
side  of  the  strait,  are  called  horse  Indians,  because 
they  make  such  constant  use  of  the  wild  horses  ;  they 
do  not  move  in  any  direction  without  them.  Those 
on  the  Fuegian  side  are  called  canoe  Indians,  as  the 
canoe  forms  their  universal  and  indeed  only  mode  of 
transportation.  The  former  are  a  rather  large,  tall 
race  of  people,  the  men  averaging  about  six  feet  in 
height ;  the  latter  are  smaller  in  physical  development, 
and  are  less  civilized  than  the  Indians  of  Patagonia, 
which,  to  be  sure,  is  saying  very  little  for  the  latter, 
who  are  really  a  low  type  of  nomads.     The  Fuegians 


280  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

are  believed  to  still  practice  cannibalism.  One  writer 
tells  us  that  criminals  and  prisoners  of  war  are  thus 
disposed  of,  and  that  the  last  crew  of  shipwrecked 
seamen  who  fell  into  their  hands  were  roasted  and 
eaten  by  them.  Their  hostUe  purposes  are  well  un- 
derstood, for  whenever  they  dare  to  exercise  such  a 
spirit  they  are  sure  to  do  so.  They  cautiously  send 
out  a  boat  or  two  to  passing  vessels,  with  whom 
a  little  trading  is  attempted,  the  main  body  of  na- 
tives keeping  well  out  of  sight ;  but  in  case  of  any 
mishap  to  a  ship,  or  if  a  small  party  land  and  are 
unable  to  defend  themselves,  they  will  appear  in 
swarms  from  various  hiding-places,  swooping  down 
upon  their  victims  like  vultures  in  the  desert.  The 
officers  of  the  yacht  Sunbeam,  as  recounted  by  Lady 
Brassey,  found  it  necessary  to  turn  her  steam-pipes  full 
force  upon  the  swarming  natives,  who  were  doubtless 
preparing  to  make  an  effort  to  capture  the  yacht  and 
her  crew,  hoping  to  overcome  them  by  mere  force  of 
numbers.  They  were,  however,  so  frightened  and  ut- 
terly astonished  by  the  means  of  defense  adopted  by 
Lord  Brassey  that  they  threw  themselves,  one  and  all, 
into  the  sea,  and  sought  the  shore  pell-mell.  Hiunboldt, 
in  his  day,  ranked  these  Fuegians  among  the  lowest 
specimens  of  himianity  he  had  ever  met,  and  they 
certainly  do  not  seem  to  have  improved  much  in  the 
mean  time.  One  is  at  a  loss  to  understand  why  the 
Patagonians  should  have  impressed  the  early  naviga- 
tors with  the  idea  that  they  were  a  people  of  gigantic 
size.     There  is  no  evidence  to-day  of  their  being,  or 


I 


GIANT  SEA-KELP.  281 

ever  having  been,  taller  or  larger  than  the  average 
New  Englander.  Half-naked  savages,  standing  six 
feet  high,  naturally  impress  one  as  being  taller  than 
Europeans  clad  in  the  conventional  style  of  civilized 
people. 

The  waters  of  Magellan  are  very  dark,  deep,  and 
sullen  in  aspect,  with  insufficient  room  in  many  places 
to  manage  a  ship  properly  under  canvas  alone.  In  their 
depth  and  darkness  these  waters  also  resemble  those  of 
Alaska's  inland  sea.  The  shores  are  quite  bold,  and  the 
rocks  below  the  surface  are  mostly  indicated  by  giant 
kelp  —  Fucus  giganteus  —  growing  over  them,  a  kind 
provision  of  nature  in  behalf  of  safe  navigation.  It 
will  not  answer,  however,  to  depend  solely  upon  this 
indication ;  the  many  rocks  in  the  strait  are  by  no 
means  all  so  designated,  nor  are  they  all  buoyed.  Sea- 
kelp  is  very  plentiful  in  this  region,  and  serves  many 
useful  purposes.  It  forms  a  nourishing  food  for  the 
Fuegians  under  certain  circumstances,  when  their 
usual  supply  is  scarce.  They  dry  it  and  prepare  it  in 
a  rude  way  suited  to  their  unsophisticated  palates.  It 
also  forms  a  portion  of  the  support  of  the  seals  and 
searotters ;  these  creatures  feed  freely  upon  its  more 
delicate  and  tender  shoots.  It  is  wonderful  how  it  can 
exist  and  thrive  among  such  breakers  as  it  constantly 
^ncomiters  in  these  restless  waters,  which  are  churned 
into  mounds  of  foam  in  squally  weather ;  but  it  does 
grow  in  great  luxuriance,  rising  oftentimes  two  hun- 
dred feet  and  more  from  the  bottom  of  the  sea.  It  is 
curious  to  watch  its  abimdant  growth  and  its  peculiar 


282  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

habits.  If  the  wind  and  tide  are  in  the  same  direc- 
tion, the  plant  lies  smooth  upon  the  water ;  but  if  the 
wind  is  against  the  tide,  the  leaves  curl  up,  causing  a 
ripple  on  the  surface,  like  a  school  of  small  fish.  A 
specimen  of  giant  kelp  was  secured  from  alongside 
of  the  ship,  broken  off  at  arm's  length  below  the  sur- 
face of  the  water.  It  was  heavy  and  full  of  par- 
asites. Upon  shaking  it,  myriads  of  marine  insects, 
shells,  tiny  crabs,  sea-eggs,  and  star-fish  fell  upon  the 
deck.  All  of  these  were  of  the  smallest  species,  some 
almost  invisible  to  the  naked  eye,  but  how  wonderful 
they  appeared  under  the  microscope,  which  developed 
hundreds  of  forms  of  life  infinitesimal  in  size ! 

At  a  prominent  point  of  the  main  channel  is  a 
strong  box  made  fast  by  a  chain,  which  always  used 
to  be  opened  by  the  masters  of  passing  ships,  either 
to  deposit  or  to  take  away  letters,  as  the  case  might 
be,  each  shipmaster  undertaking  the  free  delivery  of 
aU  letters  whose  address  was  within  the  line  of  his 
subsequent  course.  In  the  whaleship  service,  especially 
during  times  now  long  past,  this  arrangement  has 
been  of  great  service,  and  there  is  no  instance  on 
record  where  the  purpose  of  this  self-sustaining  post- 
office  was  disregarded.  In  these  days  of  fast  and 
regular  post-office  service,  the  "  Magellan  mail,"  as  it 
was  called,  is  of  no  practical  account. 

There  are  several  fairly  good  harbors  in  the  strait, 
but  the  only  white  settlement  was  originally  a  penal 
colony  founded  by  the  Chilian  government,  though 
it  no  longer   serves  for  that  purpose,  the   convicts 


PUNT  A   ARENAS.  283 

having  risen  some  years  since,  and  overpowered  the 
garrison.  A  large  portion  of  the  Patagonian  shore  is 
well  wooded,  besides  which  an  available  coal  deposit 
has  been  found  and  worked  to  fair  advantage.  Steam- 
ships, which  were  formerly  obliged  to  go  to  the  Falk- 
land Islands,  in  the  Atlantic,  five  himdred  miles 
from  the  mouth  of  the  strait,  when  rmining  short  of 
fuel,  can  now  get  their  supply  in  an  exigency  at 
Punta  Arenas  —  "  Sandy  Point."  It  is  situated  in 
the  eastern  section  of  the  strait,  about  a  hundred  and 
twenty -five  miles  from  the  entrance.  We  do  not 
mean  to  convey  the  idea  that  this  is  a  regular  coaling 
station,  though  it  may  some  time  become  so.  The 
town  consists  of  straggling,  low-built  log-houses,  and 
a  few  framed  ones,  reminding  one  of  Port  Said  at  the 
Mediterranean  end  of  the  Suez  Canal,  with  its  hetero- 
geneous population.  That  of  Sandy  Point  is  made  up 
of  all  nationalities,  strongly  tinctured  with  ex-convicts, 
and  deserters  from  the  Chilian  army  and  navy.  Eng- 
glish  is  the  language  most  commonly  spoken,  though 
the  place  is  Chilian  territory.  It  contains  some  twelve 
or  fifteen  hundred  inhabitants,  and  is  the  most  south- 
erly town  on  the  globe,  as  well  as  the  most  imdesira- 
ble  one  in  which  to  live,  if  one  may  express  an  opinion 
upon  such  brief  acquaintance. 

We  made  no  attempt  to  go  on  shore  at  Punta  Are- 
nas. .  A  rain-storm  was  at  its  height  while  the  ship  lay 
off  the  town,  and  when  it  rains  in  these  latitudes,  it 
attends  exclusively  to  the  business  in  hand.  The  water 
comes  down  like  Niagara,  until  finally,  when  the  clouds 


284  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

have  entirely  emptied  themselves,  it  stops.  Jupiter 
Pluvius  is  master  of  the  situation,  when  he  asserts 
himself,  and  there  is  no  one  who  can  dispute  his 
authority.  Umbrellas  and  waterproofs  are  of  no 
more  use  as  a  protection  during  the  downpour,  than 
they  would  be  to  a  person  who  had  fallen  overboard  in 
water  forty  fathoms  deep.  One  of  our  passengers 
came  on  deck  with  a  life  preserver  about  his  body,  sol- 
emnly declaring  that  if  this  sort  of  thing  continued 
much  longer,  the  article  woidd  be  absolutely  necessary 
in  order  to  keep  afloat. 

During  the  season  the  Patagonians  bring  into  Punta 
Arenas  the  result  of  their  hunting  in  the  shape  of  seal 
and  otter  skins,  together  with  guanaco,  and  silver-fox 
skins,  which  are  gathered  by  local  traders  and  shipped 
to  Europe.  Occasionally  a  few  sea-otter  skins  of  rare 
value  are  obtained  from  here,  fully  equal,  we  were 
told,  to  anything  taken  in  Alaskan  waters.  We  have 
said  that  Punta  Arenas  is  the  most  southerly  town 
on  the  globe.  The  next  nearest  town  to  the  Antarctic 
circle  is  the  Bluff,  so  called,  —  also  known  as  Camp- 
belltown,  —  in  the  extreme  south  of  New  Zealand, 
where  the  author  has  eaten  of  the  famous  oysters 
indigenous  there. 

Two  sorts  of  supplies  are  to  be  obtained  by  navi- 
gators of  the  strait,  namely,  fuel  arid  good  drinking 
water.  Sometimes  a  valuable  skin  robe  may  be  pur- 
chased of  the  Patagonian  Indians.  It  is  called  a 
guanaco-skin  cloak,  and  made  from  the  skin  of  the 
yovmg  deer.     To  obtain  these  skins  of  a  uniform  fine- 


BIRD  LIFE.  285 

ness  of  texture,  the  fawns  are  killed  when  but  eight 
or  ten  days  old ;  the  available  product  got  from  each 
one  is  so  small  as  hardly  to  exceed  twice  the  size  of 
one's  hand.  These  are  sewn  together  with  infinite 
care  and  neatness  by  the  Indian  women,  who  use 
the  fine  sinews  taken  from  ostriches'  legs  for  thread. 
One  of  these  guanaco-skin  cloaks  represents  a  vast 
amount  of  labor,  and  a  hundred  fawns  must  die  to 
supply  the  raw  material.  Only  chiefs  of  tribes  can 
afford  to  wear  them.  Strangers  who  are  willing  to 
pay  a  price  commensurate  with  their  real  cost  and 
value  may  occasionally  buy  such  an  article  as  we 
describe,  but  these  cloaks  are  rare.  One  was  brought 
on  board  ship  and  shown  to  us,  the  price  of  which  was 
twelve  hundred  dollars,  nor  do  we  think  it  was  an 
excessive  valuation.  It  was  worth  the  amount  as  a 
rare  curiosity  for  some  art  museum. 

That  monarch  bird  of  Antarctic  regions,  the  alba- 
tross, frequents  both  ends  of  the  strait,  and  sometimes 
accompanies  steamships  during  the  passage,  together 
with  cape-pigeons,  gulls,  and  other  marine  birds,  though 
as  a  rule  the  albatross  is  little  seen  except  on  the  broad 
expanse  of  the  ocean.  A  bird  called  the  steamer-duck, 
also  nicknamed  by  sailors  the  paddle-wheel  duck, 
was  pointed  out  to  us  by  our  captain.  It  is  so  called 
from  its  mode  of  propelling  itself  through  the  water, 
scooting  over  the  surface  of  the  strait  while  using  both 
wings  and  legs,  and  creating  considerable  disturbance 
of  the  water,  like  a  side-wheeler.  The  wings  are  too 
small  to  give  it  power  of  flight  through  the  air.     The 


286  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

steamer-duck  is  a  large  bird,  nearly  the  size  of  the 
domestic  goose ;  after  its  fashion,  it  moves  with  aston- 
ishing velocity,  considerably  faster  than  the  average 
speed  of  a  steamship.  But  we  were  speaking  a  moment 
since  of  the  albatross,  which  is  a  feathered  cannibal,  and 
shows  some  truly  wolfish  traits.  When  one  of  its  own 
species,  a  member  of  the  same  flock  even,  is  wounded 
and  drops  helpless  to  the  surface  of  the  sea,  its  com- 
rades swoop  down  upon  it,  and  tearing  the  body  to 
pieces  with  their  powerfid  bills,  devour  the  flesh  raven- 
ously. This  was  witnessed  near  the  Arctic  circle,  be- 
tween Hobart,  in  Tasmania,  and  the  Bluff,  in  New 
Zealand,  a  few  years  ago,  when  some  English  sports- 
men succeeded  in  wounding  one  of  these  mammoth 
birds  from  the  deck  of  the  steamship  Zealandia.  The 
only  other  known  bird  of  oar  day  which  measures 
from  eleven  to  twelve  feet  between  the  tips  of  the 
extended  wings  is  the  South  American  condor. 

The  sea  hereabouts  abounds  in  fish,  which  consti- 
tute the  largest  portion  of  the  food  supply  of  the  few 
Indians  who  live  near  the  coast  of  either  shore.  The 
Fuegians  dwell  in  the  rudest  shelters  possible,  nothing 
approaching  the  form  of  a  house.  The  frailest  skel- 
ter, covered  with  sea-lion's  skins,  suffices  to  keep  them 
from  the  inclemencies  of  the  weather.  With  the  ex- 
ception of  an  animal  skin  of  some  sort,  having  the 
fur  on,  secured  over  one  shoulder  on  the  side  exposed 
to  the  wind,  the  canoe  Indians  wear  no  clothing.  We 
were  told  that  several  of  these  natives,  while  quite 
young,  were  taken  to  England  by  advice  of  the  mis- 


GOLD  IN  PATAGONIA.  287 

sionaries  and  taught  to  read  and  ^vrite,  being  also 
kindly  instructed  in  civilized  manners  and  customs, 
which  they  gladly  adopted  for  the  time  being  ;  but 
upon  returning  to  their  native  land,  in  every  in- 
stance they  rapidly  lapsed  into  a  condition  of  semi-sav- 
agery. It  had  been  hoped  they  would  act  as  a  civilizing 
medium  with  their  former  friends,  after  returning 
among  them,  but  this  proved  fallacious,  and  was  a 
great  disappointment  to  the  well-meaning  philanthro- 
pists. This  same  experience,  as  is  weU  known,  has 
been  the  result  of  similar  experiments  with  natives  of 
Africa  and  the  South  Sea  Islands.  The  author  is 
conversant  with  a  striking  illustration  of  this  character 
in  connection  with  an  Australian  Indian  youth,  which 
occurred  in  Queensland,  and  which  was  both  interest- 
ing and  very  romantic  in  its  development.  It  simply 
went  to  prove  that  hereditary  instincts  cannot  be 
easily  eradicated,  and  that  not  one,  but  many  gener- 
ations are  necessary  to  banish  savage  proclivities  which 
are  inherited  from  a  long  line  of  ancestors. 

Gold  is  found  to  some  extent  in  the  beds  of  the 
streams  in  Patagonia,  —  free  gold,  washed  from  the 
disintegrated  rocks.  Natives  sometimes  bring  small 
quantities  of  the  gold  dust  into  Punta  Arenas,  with 
which  to  purchase  tobacco  and  other  articles.  Many 
heedless  and  unprincipled  individuals  sell  them  intox- 
icants, to  obtain  which  these  Indians  will  part  with  any- 
thing they  possess,  after  they  have  once  become  familiar 
with  the  taste  and  effect  of  the  captivating  poison. 

Not  far  from  Cape  Forward,  near  the  middle  of  the 


288  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

strait,  which  is  the  most  southerly  portion  of  the  Amer- 
ican continent,  three  native  boats  were  seen  during  our 
passage.  The  steamer  was  slowed  for  a  few  moments 
to  give  us  a  brief  opportunity  to  see  the  savage  occu- 
pants. These  three  frail,  ill-built  canoes  were  tossed 
high  and  low  by  the  swell  of  the  Pacific,  which  set  to 
the  eastward  through  the  strait.  Each  boat  contained 
a  man,  a  couple  of  women,  and  one  or  two  children,  the 
latter  entirely  naked,  the  others  nearly  so.  They  were 
Fuegians,  raising  their  hands  and  voices  to  attract  our 
attention,  asking  for  food  and  tobacco,  to  which  appeal 
a  generous  response  was  made.  Their  broad  faces, 
high  cheek-bones,  low  foreheads,  and  flat  noses,  their 
faces  and  necks  screened  by  coarse  black  hair,  did  not 
challenge  our  admiration,  however  much  we  were 
exercised  by  pity  for  human  beings  in  so  desolate  a 
condition.  They  certainly  possessed  two  redeeming 
features,  —  brilliant  eyes  and  teeth  of  dazzling  white- 
ness. The  fruit  thrown  to  them  seemed  best  to  suit 
the  ideas  and  palates  of  the  children,  who  devoured 
oranges,  skin  and  all ;  but  the  gift  of  clothing  which 
was  made  to  the  parents  was  laid  aside  for  future 
consideration,  though  there  are  probably  no  "  ole  clo'  " 
merchants  in  Terra  del  Fuego.  The  men  ate  hard  sea 
biscuit  and  slices  of  cold  corned  beef  ravenously.  The 
plump,  well-rounded  shoulders  and  limbs  of  the  women 
showed  them  to  be  in  far  better  physical  condition 
tiian  the  men,  whose  bodies  consisted  of  little  besides 
skin  and  bones.  They  were  copper  colored,  and  the 
skin  of  the  women  shone  in  the  bright  sunlight  which 


FUEGIANS.  289 

prevailed  for  the  moment,  as  though  they  had  been 
varnished.  If  their  faces  had  been  as  well  formed  as 
their  bodies,  they  would  have  been  models  of  natural 
beauty.  How  these  people  could  remain  so  nearly 
naked  with  apparent  comfort,  while  we  found  over- 
coats quite  necessary,  was  a  problem  difficult  to  solve 
satisfactorily. 

"  They  were  bom  so,"  said  our  first  officer.  "  As 
you  go  through  life  with  your  face  and  hands  exposed, 
so  they  go  with  their  entire  bodies.  It  is  a  mere  matter 
of  habit, — habit  from  babyhood  to  maturity." 

All  of  which  is  perfectly  reasonable.  It  was  ob- 
served that  on  the  bottom  of  their  boats  was  a  layer  of 
flat  stones,  and  on  these,  just  amidship,  was  spread  a 
low,  smouldering  fire  of  dried  vines  and  small  twigs, 
designed  to  temper  the  atmosphere  about  them.  So 
frail  were  the  boats  that  one  of  the  occupants  was  kept 
constantly  baling  out  water. 

It  is  impossible  to  form  any  intelligent  estimate  as 
to  how  many  of  these  aborigines  there  are  in  and  about 
the  strait.  They  find  food,  like  the  canvas-back  ducks, 
in  the  wild  celery,  adding  shell-fish  and  dried  berber- 
ries, and  are  a  strictly  nomadic  people.  After  exhaust- 
ing the  products  of  one  vicinity,  for  the  time  being, 
they  move  on,  but  return  to  the  locality  at  a  proper 
time,  when  nature  has  recuperated  herself  and  fur- 
nished a  fresh  supply  of  vegetable  growth  and  edible 
sheU-fish.  A  stranded  whale  is  a  godsend  to  these 
savages,  upon  the  putrid  flesh  of  which  they  live  and 
fatten  until  all  has  disappeared.     In  their  primitive 


290  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

way  they  hunt  this  leviathan,  but  want  of  proper  facil- 
ities renders  them  rarely  successful.  Occasionally  they 
manage  to  plant  a  spear  in  some  vital  spot,  deep  enough 
to  be  effectual,  so  that  the  whale,  after  diving  to  the 
depths  of  the  sea,  finally  comes  to  the  surface,  near 
the  place  where  he  was  wounded,  to  thrash  about  and 
to  die.  Even  then,  unless  it  is  at  a  favorable  point, 
the  large  body  is  liable  to  be  swept  away  by  the  strong 
tide  setting  through  the  strait,  so  that  the  natives  sel- 
dom secure  a  carcass  by  these  means. 

Not  long  since  one  of  the  European  mail  steamers, 
on  approaching  the  Atlantic  end  of  the  strait,  sighted 
an  object  which  was  at  first  thought  to  be  a  sunken 
rock.  If  this  was  its  character,  it  was  all  impoi-tant 
to  obtain  the  exact  location.  A  boat  was  lowered  and 
pulled  to  the  object,  when  it  was  foimd  to  be  the 
carcass  of  a  dead  whale,  in  which  was  a  stout  wooden 
spear  which  had  fatally  wounded  the  creature.  Se- 
curely attached  to  the  spear,  by  means  of  a  rope  made 
of  animal  sinews,  there  were  a  couple  of  inflated  blad- 
ders. The  speir  was  evidently  a  Fuegian  weapon, 
and  though  it  had  finally  cost  the  whale  his  life,  the 
dead  body  had  been  carried  by  the  current  far  beyond 
the  reach  of  those  who  had  caused  the  fatal  wound. 
The  discovery  showed  the  crude  manner  in  which  these 
savages  seek  to  possess  themselves  of  a  whale  occa- 
sionally and  thus  to  appease  their  barbaric  appetites. 
They  could  not  pursue  one  in  their  frail  boats,  but 
the  creature  is  sometimes  found  sleeping  on  the  sur- 
face of  the  sea,  which  is  the  Fuegian  opportunity  for 


I 


AQUATIC  BIRDS.  291 

approaching  it  noiselessly,  and  for  planting  a  spear  in 
some  vital  part  of  the  huge  body.  Whales,  when  thus 
attacked,  do  not  show  fight,  but  their  instinct  leads 
them  to  dive  at  once. 

A  few  whales  were  observed  within  the  strait  durins: 
our  passage,  some  so  near  as  to  show  that  they  had 
no  fear  of  the  ship.  It  was  curious  to  watch  them. 
There  was  a  baby  whale  among  the  rest,  five  or  six 
feet  in  length,  which  kept  very  close  to  its  dam  ;  it 
suddenly  disappeared  once  while  we  were  watching 
the  school,  though  only  to  rise  again  to  the  surface 
of  the  sea  and  emit  a  tiny  fountain  of  spray  from  its 
diminutive  blow-hole.  In  passing  a  small  inlet  which 
formed  a  calm,  sheltered  piece  of  water,  stiU  as  an 
inland  lake,  there  were  seen  upon  its  tranquil  bosom 
a  few  white  geese,  quietly  floating,  while  close  at  hand 
upon  some  rocks,  a  half  score  of  awkward  penguins 
were  also  observed,  with  their  ludicrous  dummy  wings, 
and  their  bodies  supported  in  a  half  standing,  half 
sitting  position. 

Ducks  seem  to  be  very  abundant  in  the  strait, 
but  geese  are  scarce.  An  occasional  cormorant  is 
caught  sight  of,  with  its  distended  pouch  bearing  wit- 
ness to  its  proverbial  voracity.  All  the  birds  one  sees 
in  these  far  away  regions  have  each  some  peculiar 
adaptability  to  the  climate,  the  locality,  or  to  both. 
The  penguin  never  makes  the  mistake  of  seeking  our 
northern  shores,  nor  is  the  albatross  often  seen  north 
of  the  fortieth  degree  of  south  latitude.  True,  were 
the  former  to  emigrate,  he  would  have  to  swim  the 


292  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

whole  distance,  but  the  latter  is  so  marvelously  strong 
of  wing  that  it  has  been  said  of  him,  he  might  break- 
fast, if  he  chose,  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  dine 
on  the  coast  of  Newfoundland. 

Terra  del  Fuego,  —  "  Land  of  Fire,"  —  which  makes 
the  southern  side  of  the  strait,  opposite  Patagonia,  is 
composed  of  a  very  large  group  of  islands  washed  by 
the  Atlantic  on  the  east  side  and  the  Pacific  on  the 
west,  trending  towards  the  southeast  for  about  two 
hundred  miles  from  the  strait,  and  terminating  at 
Cape  Horn.  The  largest  of  these  islands  is  East 
Terra  del  Fuego,  which  measures  from  east  to  west 
between  three  and  four  hundred  miles.  One  can  only 
speak  vaguely  of  detail,  as  this  is  still  a  terra  incog- 
nita. These  islands  do  indeed  form  "  a  land  of  deso- 
lation," as  Captain  Cook  appropriately  named  them, 
sparsely  inhabited  to  be  sure,  but  hardly  fit  for  human 
beings.  They  are  deeply  indented  and  cut  up  by 
arms  of  the  sea,  and  composed  mostly  of  sterile 
mountains,  whose  tops  are  covered  with  perpetual 
snow.  When  the  mountains  are  not  too  much  ex- 
posed to  the  ocean  storms  on  the  west  coast,  they  are 
scantily  covered  with  a  species  of  hardy,  wind-dis- 
torted trees  from  the  water's  edge  upward  to  the  snow 
line,  which  is  here  about  two  thousand  feet  above  the 
sea.  In  sheltered  areas  this  growth  is  dense  and  for- 
est-like, especially  nearest  to  the  sea ;  in  others  it  is 
interspersed  by  bald  and  blanched  patches  of  barren 
rocks.  In  some  open  places,  where  they  have  worn 
themselves  a  broad  path,  the  glaciers  come  down  to 


GLACIERS.  293 

the  water,  discharging  sections  of  ice  constantly  into 
the  deep  sea,  crowded  forward  and  downward  by  the 
immense  but  slow-moving  mass  behind,  —  a  frozen 
river,  —  thus  illustrating  the  habit  of  the  iceberg-pro- 
ducing glaciers  of  the  far  north. 

One  never  approaches  this  subject  without  recalling 
the  lamented  Agassiz  and  his  absorbing  theories  relat- 
ing to  it. 

The  author  has  seen  huge  glaciers  in  Scandinavia 
and  in  Switzerland,  forming  natural  exhibitions  of 
great  interest ;  each  country  has  peculiarities  in  this 
respect.  In  the  last-named  country,  for  instance, 
there  is  no  example  where  a  glacier  descends  lower 
than  thirty-five  hundred  feet  above  the  sea  level,  while 
in  Norway  the  only  one  of  which  he  can  speak  from 
personal  observation  has  before  it  a  large  terminal 
moraine,  thus  losing  the  capacity  for  that  most  striking 
performance,  the  discharge  of  icebergs.  The  best 
example  of  this  interesting  operation  of  nature  which 
we  have  ever  witnessed,  and  probably  the  most  effec- 
tive in  the  world,  is  that  of  the  Muir  glacier  in  Alaska, 
where  an  immense  frozen  river  comes  boldly  down 
from  the  Arctic  regions  to  the  sea  level,  with  a  sheer 
height  at  its  terminus  of  over  two  hundred  feet.  From 
this  unique  facade,  nearly  two  miles  in  width,  the 
constant  tumbling  of  icebergs  into  the  sea  is  accom- 
panied by  a  noise  like  a  salvo  of  cannon.  This  gla- 
cier, it  should  be  remembered,  also  extends  to  the  bot- 
tom of  the  bay,  where  it  enters  it  two  hundred  feet 
below  the  surface  of  the  water,  thus  giving  it  a  height, 


294  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

or  perhaps  we  should  say  a  depth  and  height  combined, 
of  fully  four  hundred  feet.  Icebergs  are  discharged 
from  the  submerged  portion  continually,  and  float  to 
the  surface,  thus  repeating  the  process  below  the  water 
which  is  all  the  while  ^oing  on  above  it,  and  visible 
upon  the  perpendicular  surface.  Nothing  which  we 
have  seen  in  the  Canadian  Selkirks,  in  Switzerland, 
Norway,  or  elsewhere,  equals  in  size,  grandeur,  or 
clearly  defined  glacial  action,  the  famous  Muir  glacier 
of  Alaska. 

The  most  remarkable  peak  to  be  seen  in  passing 
through  the  Strait  of  Magellan  is  Mount  Sarmiento, 
which  is  inexpressibly  grand  in  its  proportions,  domi- 
nating the  borders  of  Cockburn's  Channel  near  the 
Pacific  end  of  the  great  water-way.  It  is  about  seven 
thousand  feet  in  height,  a  spotless  cone  of  snow,  being 
in  form  extremely  abrupt  and  pointed.  This  frosty 
monarch  sends  down  from  its  upper  regions  a  score  or 
more  of  narrow,  sky-blue  glaciers  to  the  sea  through 
openings  in  the  dusky  forest.  Darwin  was  especially 
impressed  by  the  sight  of  these  when  he  explored  this 
region,  and  speaks  of  them  as  looking  like  so  many 
Niagaras,  but  they  are  only  miniature  glaciers  after  all. 
One  sees  in  the  Pyrenees  and  the  St.  Gothard  Pass 
similar  cascades  flowing  down  from  the  mountains  to- 
wards the  valleys,  except  that  in  the  one  instance  the 
ciystal  waters  are  liquid,  in  the  other  they  are  quite 
congealed.  The  group  or  range  of  which  Sarmiento 
is  the  apex  is  very  generally  shrouded  in  mist,  and  is 
visited  by  frequent  rain,  snow,  and  hail  storms.     We 


A   SINGULAR  STORY.  295 

were  fortunate  to  see  it  under  a  momentary  glow  of 
warm  sunshine,  when  the  sky  was  deepest  blue,  and 
the  ermine  cloak  of  the  mountain  was  spangled  with 
frost  gems. 

It  would  seem  that  such  exposure  to  the  elements 
in  a  frigid  climate,  and  such  deprivations  as  must  be 
constantly  endured  by  the  barbarous  natives  who  in- 
habit these  bleak  regions,  must  surely  shorten  their 
lives,  and  perhaps  it  does  so,  though  "  the  survival  of 
the  fittest,"  who  grow  up  to  maturity,  is  in  such  num- 
bers that  one  is  a  little  puzzled  in  considering  the 
matter.  A  singular  instance  touching  upon  this  point 
came  indirectly  to  the  writer's  knowledge. 

It  appears  that  four  Fuegian  women,  one  of  whom 
was  about  forty  years  of  age,  and  the  others  respec- 
tively about  twenty,  twenty-five,  and  thirty,  were 
picked  up  adrift  in  the  strait  a  few  years  ago.  It  was 
believed  that  they  had  escaped  from  some  threatened 
tribal  cruelty,  but  upon  this  subject  they  would  reveal 
nothing.  These  fugitives  were  kindly  taken  in  hand  by 
philanthropic  people  at  Sandy  Point,  and  entertained 
with  true  Christian  hospitality.  When  first  discovered 
they  were,  as  usual,  quite  naked,  but  were  promptly 
clothed  and  properly  housed.  No  more  work  was  re- 
quired of  them  than  they  chose  voluntarily  to  per- 
form ;  in  short,  they  were  most  kindly  treated,  and 
though  the  best  of  care  was  taken  of  them  in  a  hy- 
gienic sense,  they  all  gradually  faded,  and  died  of  con- 
sumption in  less  than  two  years.  They  seemed  to  be 
contented,  were  grateful  and  cheerful,  but  clothing 


296  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

and  a  warm  house  to  live  in,  odd  as  it  may  seem, 
killed  them !  They  were  born  to  a  free,  open  air  and 
exposed  daily  life,  and  their  apparently  sturdy  con- 
stitutions required  such  a  mode  of  living.  Civilized 
habits,  strange  to  say,  proved  fatal  to  these  wild  chil- 
dren of  the  rough  Fuegian  coast. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

The  Land  of  Fire.  —  Cape  Horn.  — In  the  Oi)en  Pacific.  —  Fellow  Pas- 
sengers. —  Large  Sea -Bird.  — An  Interesting  Invalid.  — A  Weary 
Captive.  —  A  Broken-Hearted  Mother.  —  Study  of  the  Heavens.  — 
The  Moon.  —  Chilian  Civil  War.  —  Concepcion.  —  A  Growing  City. 
—  Commercial  Importance.  —  Cultivating  City  Gardens  on  a  New 
Plan.  —  Important  Coal  Mines.  —  Delicious  Fruits. 

Magellan  named  this  extreme  southern  land,  of 
which  we  have  been  speaking,  "the  Land  of  Fire," 
because  of  the  numerous  fires  which  he,  from  his 
ships,  saw  on  the  shore  at  night,  and  which  were  then 
supposed  by  the  discoverers  to  be  of  a  volcanic  char- 
acter. The  fact  probably  was  that  the  Indians  did 
not  faU  to  recognize  the  need  of  artificial  heat,  es- 
pecially at  night,  though  they  had  not  sufficient  gen- 
ius to  teach  them  to  construct  garments  suitable  to 
protect  them  from  the  inclemency  of  the  weather. 
These  fires  were  kindled  in  the  open  air,  but  the  na- 
tives camped  close  about  them,  sleeping  within  their 
influence. 

Cape  Horn,  the  extreme  point  of  South  America, 
on  the  outermost  island  of  the  Fuegian  group,  is  a 
lofty,  steep  black  rock,  with  a  pointed  summit,  which 
has  stood  there  for  ages,  like  a  watchful  sentinel  at 
his  post.  Two  thirds  of  Patagonia  and  Terra  del 
Fuego  —  the  western  part  —  belong  to  Chili,  and  the 


298  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

balance  of  both  —  the  eastern  part  —  belongs  to  the 
Argentine  Republic.  A  recently  consummated  treaty 
between  these  two  nationalities  has  fixed  upon  this 
final  division  of  territory,  and  thus  settled  a  question 
which  has  long  been  a  source  of  dispute  and  ill  feel- 
ing between  them.  This  division  makes  Cape  Horn 
belong  to  Chili,  not  a  specially  desirable  possession, 
to  be  sure,  but  it  is  an  indelible  landmark. 

The  sail  along  the  coast  northward  after  leaving 
the  Pacific  mouth  of  the  strait  affords  very  little  va- 
riety of  scenery ;  the  dull  hue  of  the  barren  shore  is 
without  change  of  color  for  hundreds  of  miles,  until 
the  eye  becomes  weary  of  watching  it,  as  we  speed 
onward  through  the  long,  indolent  ocean  swell.  Arid 
hills  and  small  indentures  form  the  coast  line,  but  as 
we  get  further  northward,  this  dreary  sameness  is 
varied  by  the  appearance  of  an  occasional  small  settle- 
ment, forming  a  group  of  dwellings  of  a  rude  char- 
acter, possibly  a  mining  region  or  a  fishing  hamlet, 
connected  with  some  business  locality  further  inland. 
Sometimes  a  green  valley  is  descried,  which  makes  a 
verdant  gulch  opening  quite  down  to  the  sea. 

This  dense  monotony  becomes  more  and  more  te- 
dious, until  one  longs  to  get  somewhere,  anywhere, 
away  from  it. 

In  the  dearth  of  scenic  interest,  we  fall  to  studying 
the  various  passengers  traveling  between  the  Pacific 
ports,  a  great  variety  of  nationalities  being  repre- 
sented. Among  those  of  the  second-class  was  a  hand- 
some Italian  boy,  with  marvelous  eyes  of  jet  and  a 


SEA   EXPERIENCES.  299 

profusion  of  long  black  hair.  He  had  a  small  organ 
hung  about  his  neck,  and  carried  an  intelligent  mon- 
key with  him.  The  boy  and  his  monkey  joined  in  the 
performance  of  certain  simple,  amusing  tricks  to  elicit 
money  from  the  lookers-on.  Both  boy  and  monkey 
were  happy  in  the  result  achieved,  the  former  in  lib- 
eral cash  receipts,  the  latter  in  being  fed  liberally 
with  cakes  and  bonbons.  The  capacity  of  monkeys 
for  the  rapid  consmnption  of  palatable  dainties  is  one 
of  the  unsolved  mysteries  of  nature. 

Schools  of  porpoises  played  about  the  hull  of  the 
ship,  and  clouds  of  sea-birds  at  times  wheeled  about 
the  topmasts,  or  followed  in  the  ship's  wake  watching 
for  refuse  from  the  cook's  department.  Occasionally 
the  head  of  a  large,  deep-water  turtle  would  appear 
for  a  moment  above  the  surface,  twisting  its  awkward 
neck  to  watch  the  course  of  the  steamer,  while  shore- 
ward the  mottled  surface  of  the  gently  undulating 
waves  betrayed  the  presence  of  myriads  of  small  fish, 
over  which  hovered  predatory  birds  of  the  gull  tribe. 
Now  and  again  one  would  swoop  swiftly  downward  to 
secure  a  victim  to  its  appetite.  Few  albatrosses  were 
seen  after  leaving  the  Pacific  mouth  of  the  strait. 
They  are  lovers  of  the  stormy  Antarctic  region,  with 
the  tempestuous  atmosphere  of  which  their  great 
power  of  wing  enables  them  to  cope  successfidly. 
The  author  has  seen  one  of  these  birds  off  the  south- 
ern coast  of  New  Zealand  which  spread  eleven  feet 
from  tip  to  tip  of  its  extended  wings.  It  was  caught 
with  a  floating  bait  by  one  of  the  seamen  and  drawn 


300  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA, 

on  board  ship,  where  it  was  measured,  but  not  until 
a  long  contest  of  strength  had  taken  place  between 
men  and  bird.  The  albatross  was  slightly  wounded 
in  the  mouth  and  throat  by  the  process  of  catching 
him  with  a  baited  hook.  But  they  are  hardy  crea- 
tures, and  imless  injured  in  some  vital  part  pay  lit- 
tle heed  to  a  small  woimd.  After  this  bird  had  been 
examined,  it  was  liberated,  and  resumed  its  graceful 
flight  about  the  ship  as  though  nothing  unusual  had 
happened. 

An  invalid  girl  of  Spanish  birth,  who  was  perhaps 
sixteen  years  of  age,  very  tenderly  cared  for  by  her 
mother,  was  propped  up  daily  in  a  reclining  seat  upon 
deck,  where  she  might  find  amusement  in  watching 
the  sea  and  distant  shore,  while  inhaling  the  saline 
tonic  of  the  atmosphere.  Poor  child,  how  her  large, 
dark  eyes,  pallid  lips,  and  painful  respiration  ap- 
pealed to  one's  sympathy!  It  required  no  profes- 
sional knowledge  to  divine  her  approaching  fate.  She 
was  really  in  the  last  stages  of  consumption,  and  was 
on  her  way  to  a  popular  sanitarium  near  the  coast, 
hoping  against  reason  that  the  change  might  prove 
restorative  and  of  radical  benefit.  It  was  pleasant  to 
observe  how  promptly  every  one  on  board  strove  to 
add  to  her  comfort  by  simple  attentions  and  services, 
and  how  the  choicest  bits  from  the  table  were  secured 
to  tempt  her  capricious  appetite.  The  grateful  mo- 
ther's eyes  were  often  suffused  with  tears,  carefully 
hidden  from  the  gentle  invalid.  Her  maternal  heart 
was  too  full  for  the  utterance  even  of  thanks. 


A    TOUCHING  INCIDENT.  301 

"Ah,"  said  she  to  us  in  a  low  tone  of  voice,  "she  is 
the  last  of  my  tliree  children,  two  boys  and  this  girl. 
The  two  boys  faded  away  just  like  this.  Do  you  think 
there  is  any  hope  for  her,  senor?  " 

"  Why  not,  senora?  We  shoidd  never  cease  to  hope. 
The  land  breeze  and  the  springs  where  you  are  going 
may  do  wonders." 

Heaven  forgive  us.  The  child's  fate  was  only  too 
plainly  to  be  read  in  her  attenuated  form,  and  the  dull 
action  of  her  almost  congested  lungs. 

One  day  a  small,  weary  sea-bird,  newly  out  of  its 
nest,  flew  on  board  our  ship  quite  exhausted,  and 
being  easily  secured,  was  given  to  the  young  girl  to 
pet.  It  soon  became  quite  at  home  in  her  lap,  eating 
small  bread  crumbs  and  little  bits  of  meat  from  her 
fingers.  Confidence  4j?eing  thus  established  between 
them,  the  little  half -fledged  creature  would  not  will- 
ingly leave  its  new-found  ben'ef actress.  It  seemed  to 
be  a  providential  occurrence,  affording  considerable 
diversion  to  the  sick  one.  For  a  while,  at  least,  she 
was  aroused  from  the  listlessness  which  is  so  very  sig- 
nificant in  consumption,  and  her  whole  heart  went  out 
to  the  confiding  little  waif.  It  was  a  pretty  sight  to 
see  the  bird  nestle  contentedly  close  to  her  bosom,  the 
pale-faced  girl  scarcely  less  fragile  than  the  little 
feathered  stranger  she  had  adopted.  No  one  thought 
that  Death  was  hovering  so  very  near,  yet  the  third 
night  after  the  bird  flew  on  board  the  young  girl  lay 
in  her  shroud,  with  an  ivory  crucifix,  typical  of  the 
Bomish  faith,  in  one  hand,  and  the  other  resting  upon 


302  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

the  inanimate  bird  she  had  befriended,  which  had  also 
breathed  its  last. 

Attempted  consolation  to  a  freshly  bleeding  heart 
is  almost  always  premature,  and  there  are  few,  very 
few,  himian  beings  competent  to  offer  it  effectually 
under  the  best  circumstances.  The  sad-eyed  mother 
listened  to  a  few  well-meant  words  of  this  character, 
but  slowly  shook  her  head  and  made  no  reply.  Time 
only  could  assuage  the  keenness  of  her  sorrow.  By 
and  by  she  spoke,  with  her  eyes  still  resting  upon 
that  pale,  dead  face,  where  nothing  but  a  wonderful 
peace  and  serenity  were  now  expressed. 

"Have  birds  souls,  do  you  think?  "  she  asked,  in  a 
low,  trembling  voice. 

"Possibly,"  was  the  reply;  "but  why  do  you  ask?  " 

"Because,"  she  continued,  ipeaking  very  slowly, 
"that  tiny  creature  and  my  darling  died  almost  at  the 
same  moment,  and  if  so,  her  spirit  would  have  com- 
pany on  its  way  to  the  good  God." 

The  unconscious  poetry  of  the  thought,  so  quietly 
expressed  by  the  sorrowing  mother,  as  she  sat  beside 
the  corpse  with  folded  hands  and  burning  eyes,  which 
could  not  find  the  relief  of  tears,  was  very  touching. 

The  motor  of  the  big  ship  throbbed  on,  the  routine 
of  duty  continued  imchanged,  passengers  ate,  drank, 
and  were  merry,  the  sea-birds  wheeled  about  us  utter- 
ing their  sharp  contentious  cries,  and  we  pressed  for- 
ward through  the  opposing  wind  and  tide,  as  though 
nothing  had  happened.  Only  a  mother's  loving  heart 
was  broken.     Only  a  soul  gone  to  its  God.     Surely 


PHASES   OF  THE  MOON.  303 

such  sweet  innocence    must  be  welcome  iu  heaven. 
But  ah !  the  great  mystery  of  it  all ! 

Most  intelligent  people  will  agree  with  us  that  no 
study  known  to  science  can  compare  with  astronomy 
for  absorbing  interest.  At  sea  one  finds  ample  time,- 
convenience,  and  incentive  to  study  the  sky,  populous 
with  countless  hosts  of  constellations.  Especially  is 
it  interesting  to  watch  the  numerous  phases  of  the 
moon,  beginning  with  her  advent  as  a  delicate  cres- 
cent of  pale  light  in  the  eastern  sky,  after  the  sun  has 
set,  and  continuing  to  the  period  when  she  becomes 
full.  Each  succeeding  night  it  is  found  that  she  has 
moved  farther  and  farther  westward,  until,  arriving  at 
the  full,  she  rises  nearly  at  the  same  time  that  the 
sun  sets.  From  the  period  of  full  moon,  the  disc  of 
light  diminishes  nightly  until  the  last  quarter  is 
reached,  and  the  moon  is  then  seen  high  over  the 
ship's  J;opmast  head,  before  day  breaks  in  the  east. 
Thus  she  goes  on  waning,  all  the  while  drawing  closer 
to  the  sun,  until  finally  she  becomes  absorbed  in  his 
light.  The  interesting  process  completed,  she  again 
comes  into  view  at  twilight  in  the  west,  in  her  exqui- 
site crescent  form,  once  more  to  pass  through  a  similar 
series  of  changes. 

The  superstition  of  sailors  touching  the  moonlight 
is  curious.  No  foremast  hand  will  sleep  where  it 
shines  directly  upon  him.  They  are  voluble  in  relat- . 
ing  many  instances  of  comrades  rendered  melancholy- 
mad  by  so  doing.  "They  talk  about  the  moon  mak- 
ing the  ebb  and  flow  of  the  tide,"  said  an  able  sea- 


304  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

man  to  the  author.  "There's  lots  of  queer  things 
about  the  moon,  but  that 's  d — d  nonsense,  saving 
your  honor's  presence."  Thus  Jack  eagerly  absorbs 
superstitious  ideas,  and  ignores  natural  phenomena. 
No  humble  class  of  men  are  so  intelligent  in  a  general 
way,  and  yet  at  the  same  time  so  universally  supersti- 
tious, as  those  who  go  down  to  the  sea  in  ships. 

In  coming  on  to  the  west  coast  it  is  natural,  perhaps, 
for  the  reader  to  expect  us  to  refer  briefly  to  the  late 
civil  war  in  Chili,  but  we  have  not  attempted  in  these 
notes  to  depict  the  local  political  condition  of  any  of 
the  states  of  South  America.  In  the  past  they  have 
most  of  them  shown  themselves  as  changeable  as  the 
wind,  and  remarks  which  would  depict  the  status  of 
to-day  might  be  quite  unsuited  to  that  of  to-mor- 
row. The  average  reader  is  sufficiently  familiar  with 
the  struggle  so  lately  ended  in  Chili.  One  party  was 
led  by  the  late  President  Balmaceda,  in  opposition  to 
the  other,  known  as  the  Congressional  party.  That 
which  brought  about  this  open  warfare  was  the  re- 
fusal of  Congress  any  longer  to  recognize  the  presi- 
dent on  account  of  his  high-handed,  illegal,  and  venal 
official  conduct.  A  line  will  illustrate  the  cause  of  the 
outbreak.  It  was  the  Constitution  of  the  country  as 
against  a  Dictatorship.  The  President  of  the  Chil- 
ian Republic,  like  the  President  of  the  United  States, 
has  a  personal  authority  such  as  nowadays  is  wielded 
by  few  constitutional  monarchs.  Balmaceda  proved 
to  be  a  tyrant  of  the  first  water,  abusing  the  power  of 
his  position  to  condemn  to  death  those  who  opposed 


CONCEPCION.  305 

him,  without  even  the  semblance  of  a  trial.  He  suc- 
ceeded in  attaching  most  of  the  regular  army  to  his 
cause  by  profuse  promises  and  the  free  use  of  money, 
while  the  navy  went  almost  bodily  over  to  the  side  of 
Congress.  The  contest  assmned  revolutionary  pro- 
portions, and  many  battles  were  fought.  As  a  casual 
observer,  the  author  heartily  coincided  with  the  Con- 
gressional party,  and  rejoices  at  their  wholesale  tri- 
umph. 

The  suicidal  act  which  ended  Balmaceda's  life  was 
no  heroic  resort,  but  the  deed  of  a  coward  fearing  to 
face  the  consequences  of  his  murderous  career.  It 
is  not  the  man  who  has  been  actuated  by  high  and 
noble  sentiments  who  cuts  his  throat  or  blows  out  his 
brains.  Such  is  the  act  of  the  cunning  fraud  who  real- 
izes that  he  has  not  only  totally  failed  in  his  object, 
but  that  his  true  character  is  known  to  the  world. 
Suicide  has  been  declared  to  be  the  final  display  of 
egoism,  and  it  certainly  leaves  the  world  with  one 
less  thoroughly  selfish  character.  The  disappearance 
of  such  an  individual  may  produce  a  momentary  rip- 
ple on  the  surface  of  time,  but  it  fails  to  leave  any 
permanent  mark. 

Nearly  three  hundred  miles  south  of  Santiago,  cap- 
ital of  Chili,  on  the  Pacific  coast,  is  situated  the  city 
of  Concepcion.  It  stands  on  the  right  bank  of  the 
river  Biobio,  six  or  seven  miles  from  its  mouth,  and 
contains  about  twenty -five  thousand  inhabitants.  The 
people  seem  to  be  exceptionally  active  and  enterpris- 
ing, though  at  this  writing  suffering  from  the  effects 


306  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

of  the  late  civil  war.  It  is  the  third  city  in  point 
of  size  and  importance  in  the  republic,  and  dates 
from  over  three  hundred  years  ago.  It  will  be  re- 
membered also  that  it  once  held  the  place  now  occu- 
pied by  Santiago  as  capital  of  the  country.  The  city 
is  built  in  the  valley  of  Mocha,  under  the  coast  range 
of  hills,  and  is  justly  famed,  like  Puebla  in  Mexico, 
for  its  pretty  women  and  beautiful  flowers.  It  is  a 
clean  and  thrifty  town,  with  handsome  shops,  a  charm- 
ing plaza,  and  an  attractive  alameda.  This  latter 
deserves  special  mention.  It  is  a  mile  long,  and  beau- 
tified with  several  rows  of  tall  Lombardy  poplars,  the 
sight  of  which  carried  us  to  another  hemisphere,  where 
those  lovely  Italian  plains  stretch  away  from  the  en- 
virons of  Milan  towards  the  foothills  of  the  neigh- 
boring Alps  and  the  more  distant  Apennines.  Great 
things  are  prognosticated  for  Concepcion  in  the  near 
future  by  its  friends,  and  it  is  already  the  principal 
town  of  southern  Chili.  The  streets  are  well  paved, 
and  lined  by  handsome  business  blocks,  together  with 
pleasant  dwelling-houses,  built  low,  to  avoid  the  effect 
of  earthquakes,  the  universal  material  being  sun-dried 
bricks,  finished  externally  in  stucco.  The  fa9ade8  are 
painted  in  harlequin  variety  of  colors,  yellow,  blue, 
and  peach-blossom  prevailing.  The  town  has  really 
more  the  appearance  of  a  northern  than  a  southern 
city,  and  has  long  been  connected  with  Valparaiso  by 
railway. 

Some  of  the  most  extensive  coal  mines  on  this  part 
of  the  continent  have  been  discovered  in  this  vicinity, 


TALCAHUANO.  307 

and  are  being  worked  on  a  large  scale.  In  fact,  Coro- 
nal, not  far  away,  is  the  great  coaling  station  on  the 
Chilian  coast  for  steamships  bound  to  Europe  or  Pan- 
ama. One'  would  suppose  that  this  coal  mining  must 
be  quite  'profitable,  as  we  were  told  that  twenty -five 
and  e\:enr  thirty  dollars  per  ton  was  realized  for  it  de- 
livered at  the  nearest  tide-water.  The  port  of  Concep- 
cion  is  some  seven  miles  from  the  city,  where  the  river 
Biobio  flows  into  the  ocean  at  Talcahuano,  —  pro- 
nounced Tal-ca-wha'no,  —  a  small  town  on  Concep- 
cion  Bay  possessing  an  excellent  harbor.  There  are 
here  a  large  marine  dock,  an  arsenal,  and  a  seaman's 
hospital.  Close  by  the  shore  is  a  spacious  and  conven- 
ient railway  station.  The  bay  is  some  six  miles  wide 
by  seven  in  length.  There  is  a  resident  population 
of  nearly  four  thousand,  who  form  an  extremely  active 
community.  The  majority  of  the  houses  are  of  a 
very  humble  character  and,  like  those  of  Concepcion, 
are  built  of  adobe. 

Spanish  capitals  in  the  West  Indies  and  South 
America  were  originally  placed,  like  Concepcion,  some 
distance  from  the  coast,  to  render  them  more  secure 
against  the  attack  of  pirates  and  lawless  sea-rovers, 
who  might  land  from  their  vessels,  burn  a  town  on  the 
seashore,  after  robbing  it  of  all  valuables,  and  easily 
make  good  their  escape ;  whereas  to  march  inland  and 
attack  a  town  far  from  their  base,  or  to  proceed  tip  a 
shallow  river  in  boats  for  such  a  purpose,  was  a  far 
more  difficult,  if  not  indeed  an  impossible  thing  to  do. 
Thus  Callao  is  the  harbor  of  Lima;  Valparaiso,  of 


308  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

Santiago ;  and  Talcahuano,  of  Concepcion.  The  situ- 
ation of  the  last  named  capital  is  admirable,  at  the 
head  of  the  bay,  which  affords  one  of  the  best  harbors 
on  the  west  coast  of  the  continent.  When  the  trans- 
continental railway  from  Buenos  Ayres,  on  the  Atlan- 
tic side,  is  finished,  surmounting  the  passes  of  the  An- 
des,—  already  "a  foregone  conclusion," — it  will  have 
its  termination  here  at  Talcahuano,  which  must  then 
become  a  great  shipping  point  for  New  Zealand  and 
Australia.  Half  a  dozen  lines  of  European  mail 
steamers  already  touch  here  regularly.  The  river  is 
too  shallow  to  admit  of  vessels  drawing  more  than  a 
few  feet  of  water  ascending  it  so  far  as  Concepcion,  but 
Talcahuano  is  all  sufficient  as  a  port. 

Few  places  have  been  so  frequently  devastated  by 
fire,  flood,  and  earthquakes,  or  so  often  ravaged  by 
war,  as  has  this  interesting  city.  In  the  early  days 
the  Araucanian  Indians  put  the  settlers  to  the  sword 
again  and  again.  This  was  the  bravest  of  all  the 
native  Indian  tribes  of  South  America,  and  is  still 
an  unconquered  people.  The  city  was  laid  in  ruins 
so  late  as  1835  by  an  earthquake,  though  no  special 
signs  of  this  destructive  visitor  are  to  be  seen  here  to- 
day. Still,  one  cannot  but  feel  that  with  such  possi- 
bilities hanging  over  the  locality,  there  must  be  few 
people  willing  to  expend  freely  of  their  means  for 
substantial  building  purposes,  or  to  make  Concepcion 
a  permanent  place  of  abode.  Human  nature  adapts 
itself  to  all  exigencies,  however,  and  the  place  grows 
rapidly,    notwithstanding   the   discouraging    circum- 


J 


,  THE   TELEGRAPH.  309 

stances  which  we  have  named.  It  is  not  the  native 
but  the  foreign  element  of  the  population  which  is  do- 
ing so  much  for  this  region.  Were  the  mingled  na- 
tive race  to  be  left  to  themselves,  there  would  be  few 
signs  of  progress  evinced;  they  would  rapidly  lapse 
into  a  condition  of  semi-barbarism.  The  Chilian 
proper  is  a  very  poor  creature  as  regards  morals,  in- 
telligence, or  true  manhood ;  his  instincts  are  brutal 
and  his  aims  predaceous. 

Like  all  South  American  cities,  Concepcion  is  laid 
out  by  rule  and  compass,  the  fairly  broad  streets  cross- 
ing each  other  at  right  angles.  There  is  a  large  and 
costly  cathedral,  but  a  wholesome  fear  of  earthquakes 
has  caused  it  to  be  left  without  the  usual  twin  towers, 
which  gives  it  an  unfinished  appearance.  The  place 
also  contains  other  churches,  a  well-appointed  theatre, 
two  hospitals,  and  several  edifices  devoted  to  char- 
itable purposes.  Opposite  the  cathedral  stands  the 
Intendencia,  a  large  and  handsome  government  house. 
Telephones  and  electric  lights  have  long  been  adopted, 
and  the  telegraph  poles  do  much  abound.  In  these 
foreign  places,  so  far  away  from  home,  to  see  the 
streets  lined,  as  they  are  with  us,  by  big,  tall  poles, 
holding  aloft  a  maze  of  wires,  is  very  suggestive ;  but 
where  can  one  go  that  they  are  not?  It  is  curious  to 
realize  that  we  can  step  into  an  office  close  at  hand 
and  promptly  communicate  with  any  part  of  the 
world.  We  may  have  sailed  over  the  ocean  many 
thousands  of  miles,  and  have  consumed  months  to  reach 
the  spot  where  we  stand,  but  electricity,  like  tkought, 


310  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

annihilates  space,  and  will  take  our  message  instantly 
to  its  destination,  though  it  be  at  the  farthest  end  of 
the  globe.  These  marvelous  facilities  are  no  longer 
confined  to  populous  centres.  Electricity  not  only 
bears  our  messages  to  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  world, 
but  it  propels  the  tramway  cars  in  Rome,  Boston,  and 
Munich,  while  it  also  lights  the  streets  of  New  York, 
Auckland  in  New  Zealand,  as  well  as  of  London  and 
Honolulu. 

The  importance  of  Concepcion  is  manifest  from  the 
fact  that  several  new  railway  connections  terminating 
here  have  lately  been  accomplished;  but  the  impor- 
tant event  already  referred  to,  of  the  transcontinental 
railway,  will  finally  insure  her  commercial  greatness. 
The  town  is  surrounded  by  a  widespread,  fertile  coun- 
try, abounding  in  both  mineral  and  agricultural 
wealth,  eqtial  to,  if  not  surpassing,  any  other  province 
in  Chili.  The  city  was  financially  strong  before  the 
late  civil  war,  and  has  still  some  very  wealthy  resi- 
dents. The  principal  bank  of  Concepcion,  with  a 
capital  of  one  million  dollars,  paid  a  dividend  to  its 
stockholders  in  1890  of  sixteen  per  cent,  on  the  pre- 
vious year's  business.  The  cathedral  and  govern- 
ment house,  already  spoken  of,  front  on  the  plaza,  a 
large  open  square  ornamented  with  statuary,  trees, 
and  flowers,  the  latter  kept  in  most  exquisite  order 
and  constant  bloom  by  means  of  a  singular  and  ori- 
ginal device.  It  seems  that  each  separate  plot  of  these 
grounds  is  owned  or  cared  for  by  a  different  family 
of  the  citizens,  and  that  a  spirit  of  emulation  is  thus 


TREATMENT  OF    THE  DEAD.  311 

excited  by  the  effort  of  the  several  parties  to  make 
their  special  plot  excel  in  its  beauty  and  fragrance. 
This  keeps  the  whole  plaza  in  a  lovely  condition,  and 
makes  it  the  pride  of  the  city. 

Society  and  business  circles  are  mostly  composed  of 
foreigners,  the  German  element  largely  predominat- 
ing. The  native,  or  humbler  classes,  as  we  have  al- 
ready intimated,  are  a  wretchedly  low  people.  They 
"wake"  their  dead  before  burial,  much  after  the 
style  which  prevails  in  Ireland,  except  that  the  pro- 
cess is  more  exaggerated  in  manner.  Drinking  and 
debauchery  characterize  these  occasions,  which  are 
continued  often  for  three  days  at  a  time,  or  so  long  as 
iSle  means  for  indulgence  in  excess  last.  In  case  of 
youthful  deaths,  the  child's  cheeks  are  painted  red, 
and  the  head  is  crowned  in  a  fantastic  manner,  the 
body  being  dressed  and  placed  in  a  sitting  position, 
thus  forming  a  strange  and  hideous  sight.  Such 
treatment  of  a  corpse  could  only  be  tolerated  by  a 
barbarous  people.  In  the  environs  of  the  town,  Laz- 
arus jostles  Dives.  There  are  here  many  hovels,  as 
well  as  a  better  class  of  residences.  Some  of  them 
are  wretchedly  poor,  built  of  mud  and  bamboo,  the 
inhabitants  half  naked  and  wholly  starved,  if  one  may 
judge  by  their  appearance.  On  Saturday,  which  in 
Spanish  towns  and  cities  is  called  "poor  day,"  the 
streets  of  Concepcion  are  full  of  either  assumed  or 
real  mendicants.  The  Spanish  race  is  one  of  chronic 
beggars, —  they  seem  born  so.  Scarcely  less  of  a  nui- 
sance than  the  beggars  are  the  army  of  half -starved, 


312  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

mongrel,  neglected  dogs,  that  throng  in  the  streets  of 
the  city,  rivaling  Constantinople. 

It  should  be  mentioned  that  Concepcion  has  a  good 
system  of  tramway  service,  and  that  the  cars  have 
attached  to  them  a  class  of  neat,  pretty,  and  modest 
girls  for  conductors,  who  wear  natty  straw  hats,  snow- 
white  aprons,  and  are  supplied  with  a  leather  cash 
bag  hung  by  a  strap  about  the  neck.  It  seems  rather 
incongruous  that  while  so  many  evidences  of  real 
progress  abound  in  this  city,  water,  the  prime  neces- 
sity of  life,  should  be  peddled  about  the  streets  by 
the  bucketful.  Now  is  the  time  to  perfect  a  system 
of  drainage,  and  to  introduce  an  adequate  supply  of 
good  water,  from  easily  .available  sources. 

The  inexhaustible  coal  fields  already  mentioned, 
which  are  situated  but  a  few  miles  away,  must  prove 
to  be  a  lasting  source  of  prosperity  to  Concepcion. 
They  are  far  more  important  and  valuable,  all  things 
considered,  than  a  gold  or  silver  mine  near  at  hand 
would  be.  Indeed,  it  is  found  in  the  long  run  that 
the  latter  kind  of  mineral  discoveries  do  not  always 
tend  to  the  material  benefit  of  the  community  in 
which  they  are  found.  The  earth  produces  far  more 
profitable  crops  than  gold  and  precious  stones,  even 
when  considered  in  the  most  mercenary  light.  The 
business  prospects  of  Concepcion,  as  we  have  pointed 
out  in  detail,  are  exceedingly  promising.  That  the 
city  is  destined  eventually  to  rival  Valparaiso  seems 
more  than  probable,  and  yet  there  is  another  side  to 
this  favorable  aspect  thus  presented,  which  it  is  not 


TROPICAL  FRUITS.  313 

wise  to  ignore.  True,  the  climate  is  equable  and 
healthy,  but  that  great  drawback,  the  liability  to 
earthquakes  and  tidal  waves,  still  remains,  like  a 
dark,  portending  shadow.  In  spite  of  this  startling 
possibility  there  is  something  of  a  "boom"  already 
instituted,  at  this  writing,  as  to  the  prices  of  land  in 
and  about  both  the  port  and  city  of  Concepcion.  It 
is  a  fact  that  people  will  soon  become  calloused  and 
heedless  of  almost  any  familiar  danger.  Jack  turns 
in  and  quickly  falls  to  sleep,  when  the  watch  below  is 
called  and  relieves  him  from  the  deck,  though  the  ship 
is  in  the  midst  of  cyclone  latitudes,  and  while  a  half- 
gale  is  blowing.  The  people  of  Torre  del  Grecco,  at 
the  base  of  the  volcano,  do  not  sleep  any  less  soundly 
to-day  because  Pompeii  was  utterly  destroyed  by 
Vesuvius  eighteen  or  nineteen  centuries  ago.  The 
earthquake  of  1835  first  shook  Talcahuano  nearly  to 
pieces,  and  then  completed  its  destruction  by  a  tidal 
wave  which  swept  what  remained  of  it  into  the  sea. 

It  goes  without  saying  that  most  of  the  fruits  and 
staple  products  of  the  tropics  are  to  be  found  both 
at  Concepcion  and  at  the  port  of  Talcahuano.  Each 
place  we  visit  seems  to  have  some  specialty  in  this 
line.  Here,  it  is  the  watermelon.  Favored  by  the 
soil  and  the  climate,  this  fruit  is  developed  to  its 
maximum  in  weight,  richness  of  flavor,  and  general 
perfection.  They  are  sold  cheap  enough  everywhere. 
A  centavo  will  buy  a  large  ripe  one.  Street  carts 
and  donkeys  are  laden  with  them,  and  so  are  the 
decks  of  all  outgoing  vessels.     It  is  both  food  and 


814  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

drink  to  the  poor  peons,  who  consume  the  fruit  in 
quantities  strongly  suggestive  of  cholera,  dropsy,  or 
some  other  dreadful  illness.  Any  one  accustomed  to 
travel  in  our  Southern  States,  in  the  right  season  of 
the  year,  will  have  observed  how  voraciously  the  negro 
popidation,  young  and  old,  eat  of  the  cheap,  ripe  crop 
of  watermelons ;  but  these  South  American  peons  have 
a  capacity  for  storage  and  digestion  of  this  really 
wholesome  article,  beyond  all  comparison.  A  child 
not  more  than  ten  years  of  age  will  devour  the  ripe 
portion  of  a  large  melon  in  a  few  minutes,  and  no  ill 
effects  seem  to  follow.  An  adidt  eats  two  at  a  meal 
which  would  weigh,  we  are  afraid  to  say  how  much, 
but  they  are  considerably  larger  than  the  average 
melons  which  are  brought  to  New  England  from  the 
South.  After  all,  the  watermelon  is  healthful  food, 
though  it  is  more  filling  than  nourishing.  It  will  be 
remembered  that  the  famous  fasting  individual.  Dr. 
Tanner,  after  eating  nothing  for  forty  days  and  forty 
nights,  took  for  his  first  article  of  nourishment,  at  the 
close  of  this  time  of  fasting,  half  a  watermelon,  and 
that  he  retained  and  digested  it  successfully. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Valparaiso.  —  Principal  South  American  Port  of  the  Pacific— A 
Good  Harbor.  —  Tallest  Mountain  on  this  Continent.  —  The  News- 
paper Press.  —  Warlike  Aspect.  —  Girls  as  Car  Conductors. — 
Chilian  Exports.  —  Foreign  Merchants.  —  Effects  of  Civil  War.  — 
Gambling  in  Private  Houses.  —  Immigration.  —  Culture  of  the 
Grape.  —  Agriculture.  —  Island  of  Juan  Fernandez. 

Valparaiso  —  "  Vale  of  Paradise  "  —  was  thus 
fancifully  named  because  of  its  assumed  loveliness. 
True,  it  is  beautifully  situated,  and  is  a  fine  city  of 
its  class,  located  in  an  admirable  semicircular  bay, 
not  upon  one,  but  upon  many  hills,  backed  by  a  cres- 
cent-shaped mountain  range.  But  when  one  compares 
its  harbor  to  that  of  Naples,  or  Sydney  in  Australia, 
for  picturesqueness  of  scenery,  as  is  often  done,  it  only 
provokes  invidious  remarks.  The  matchless  harbor 
of  Rio  Janeiro,  on  the  eastern  coast  of  the  continent, 
already  fully  described  in  these  pages,  is  far  more 
charming  in  general  effect  and  in  all  of  its  surround- 
ings, not  to  mention  that  it  is  more  than  twenty  times 
as  large.  Valparaiso  is  the  principal  seaport  of  Chili, 
and  indeed,  for  the  present,  it  is  the  main  port  of  the 
entire  west  coast  of  South  America.  By  consulting 
the  map  it  will  be  readily  seen  that  Chili  must  ever 
be  a  maritime  nation,  depending  more  upon  an  effec- 
tive navy  than  an  army.     The  possession  of  the  na- 


316  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

tional  ships  of  war  by  the  Congressional  party  in  the 
revolution  so  lately  terminated  gave  them  virtual 
control  of  the  cities  along  the  coast,  at  the  outbreak 
of  the  emeute,  and  this  means  they  employed  against 
the  Presidential  party  with  the  most  ruthless  effect. 
They  did  not  hesitate  to  savagely  cannonade  and  shell 
a  city,  though  two  thirds  of  the  occupants  were  their 
own  friends  and  supporters,  provided  it  was  held  os- 
tensibly, and  for  the  time  being  only,  by  the  support- 
ers of  Balmaceda.  The  outrageous  bombardment  of 
Iquique  is  an  instance  in  illustration  of  this  charge. 
The  Chilian  delights  to  be  cruel;  it  is  his  instinct  to 
destroy  and  to  plunder.  He  is  by  nature  boastful, 
passionate,  and  headstrong.  This  disposition  seems 
to  be  born  in  the  race,  is  in  fact  a  matter  of  hered- 
ity, fostered  by  bull-fights  and  kindred  entertain- 
ments. But  the  country  must  now  pay  for  the  enor- 
mous destruction  of  property  of  which  the  directors 
of  the  civil  war  have  been  guilty.  The  European 
powers  have  already  begun  to  send  in  their  demands 
for  damages  done  to  their  non-combatant  merchants. 
England  comes  first  with  a  bill  calling  for  payment 
of  sixty  million  dollars.  Spain,  Italy,  and  Germany 
will  follow.  It  is  estimated  that  a  hundred  million 
dollars  will  be  required  to  settle  these  foreign  de- 
mands. Chili  must  pay.  There  is  no  avoiding  it. 
Reckless  destruction  will  be  found  to  be  rather  an  ex- 
pensive amusement  in  future  for  these  South  Ameri- 
cans. Their  outrageous  and  murderous  treatment  of 
citizens  of   the  United  States   who  land  upon  their 


CHILIAN   TERRITORY.  317 

shore  is  also  like  to  cost  them  a  heavy  sum  in  way  of 
penalty.  The  present  is  a  good  opportunity  to  teach 
them  a  salutary  lesson.  The  Chilians  will  not  be  in  a 
hurry  to  repeat  crimes  which  they  find  entail  sure  and 
swift  punishment. 

A  majority  of  the  population  of  Chili  lives,  as  a 
rule,  within  a  few  miles  of  the  sea,  and  her  coast  line 
extends  from  Cape  Horn  northward  over  two  thou- 
sand miles  to  the  borders  of  Bolivia  and  Peru.  With 
this  extraordinary  length,  she  has  an  average  width  of 
hardly  more  than  a  hundred  miles,  bordered  on  the 
east  by  the  western  slope  of  the  Andes,  whose  eastern 
side  belongs  to  the  Argentine  Republic,  and  on  the 
west  by  the  Pacific  Ocean.  The  present  estimated 
area  of  the  republic  is  about  two  himdred  and  twenty 
thousand  square  miles,  containing  a  population  of 
considerably  less  than  three  millions,  though  its  capa- 
cious territory  could  be  so  divided  as  to  make  twenty- 
five  states  as  large  as  Massachusetts.  Sixteen  hun- 
dred miles  of  steam  railroads  render  the  principal 
sections  of  Chili  accessible  to  one  another.  The  coast 
line  has  from  time  to  time  been  undergoing  decided 
changes  through  volcanic  action.  In  1822,  after  a 
visible  commotion,  the  shore  was  permanently  raised 
three  feet  at  Valparaiso,  and  four  feet  at  Quintere. 
This  change  extended  over  an  area  of  a  hundred  thou- 
sand miles.  Another  but  lesser  elevation  took  place 
in  the  same  region  in  1835. 

There  seems  to  be  no  accounting  for  the  vagaries  of 
a  land  subject  to  volcanic  influences. 


318  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

The  harbor  of  Valparaiso  is  well  protected  on  the 
east,  south,  and  west,  but  it  is  open  to  the  north, 
from  which  direction  come  very  heavy  winds  and 
seas  during  a  couple  of  months  in  the  winter  season, 
often  causing  serious  casualties  among  the  shipping 
which  may  chance  to  be  anchored  in  the  harbor. 
A  "norther  "  is  as  much  dreaded  here  as  it  is  at  Vera 
Cruz  and  along  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  generally. 

The  entrance  to  the  harbor  is  on  its  north  side,  and 
is  a  mile  in  width,  more  or  less.  The  flags  of  nearly 
all  nations  are  seen  here,  though  the  Stars  and  Stripes 
are  less  frequently  to  be  met  with  than  others.  The 
city  lies  at  the  base  of  the  closely  surrounding  hills, 
up  whose  sides  and  in  the  ravines  the  dwelling-houses 
have  been  constructed,  tier  above  tier.  Over  all, 
further  inland,  looms  the  frosted  head  of  grand  old 
Aconcagua,  twenty-two  thousand  feet  and  more  in 
height,  believed  to  be  the  tallest  moimtain  in  the 
western  hemisphere*  This  mighty  member  of  the 
Andean  Cordillera  is  said  to  be  ninety  miles  away, 
but  it  is  so  lofty  and  dominant,  as  seen  through  the 
clear  atmosphere,  that  it  appears  almost  within  can- 
non range.  At  this  writing  the  harbor  presents 
quite  a  warlike  aspect.  English,  American,  French, 
German,  and  Chilian  men-of-war  are  anchored  here, 
looking  after  their  several  national  interests,  as  af- 
fected by  the  civil  war.  The  bugle  calls  of  the  sev- 
eral ships,  the  morning  and  evening  guns,  the  display 
of  naval  bunting,  together  with  the  flitting  hither  and 
thither  of  well-manned  boats,  all  unite  to  form  a  gay 


SANTIAGO.  319 

and  suggestive  scene.  The  Chilian  cruisers  in  the 
hands  of  the  revolutionists  would  not  hesitate  to  bat- 
ter down  any  government  buildings  on  the  coast,  de- 
stroying incidentally  the  domestic  residences  and  mer- 
chandise of  non-combatants,  were  they  not  restrained 
by  the  presence  of  foreign  flags  and  guns.  When 
Balmaceda  undertook  by  a  proclamation  to  shut  up 
the  ports  of  Chili,  and  declared  them  blockaded,  he 
was  told  by  the  several  naval  commanders  on  the 
coast  that  he  could  not  establish  a  paper  blockade, 
and  that  if  the  merchant  ships  of  their  several  coim- 
tries  were  in  any  way  interfered  with,  he  would  have 
to  fight  somebody  else  besides  the  revolutionists. 
The  ports  were  therefore  kept  as  open  to  legitimate 
commerce  as  they  ever  were. 

The  author  was  disappointed  at  not  being  able  to 
reach  Santiago,  the  capital  of  Chili,  which  is  situated 
at  the  foot  of  the  western  slope  of  the  Andes,  nearly 
two  thousand  feet  above  tide -water.  It  is  connected 
with  Valparaiso  by  railway,  and  under  ordinary  cir- 
cumstances can  be  reached  in  eight  hours.  The  dif- 
ficulties caused  by  the  civil  war,  and  the  suspicion 
with  which  all  foreigners  were  regarded,  proved  im- 
possible to  surmount  without  a  protracted  effort,  and 
submitting  to  any  amount  of  red  tape.  Santiago 
was  founded  by  one  of  Pizarro's  captains,  in  1541, 
and  now  contains  about  two  hundred  thousand  inhab- 
itants. There  are  some  Americans  and  many  English 
resident  in  Santiago,  together  with  Germans  and 
Frenchmen,  the  foreigners  being  mostly  merchants. 


320  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

We  were  toll  of  two  familiar  statues  which  are  to  be 
seen  in  a  public  square  of  the  city,  in  front  of  the  post- 
office.  One  represents  George  Washington,  the  other 
Abraham  Lincoln,  both  of  which  were  stolen  from 
Lima  during  the  late  conflict  between  Chili  and  Peru. 

But  this  is  a  digression.  Let  us  once  more  return 
to  the  commercial  port  of  Valparaiso. 

A  considerable  portion  of  this  city  has  been  re- 
claimed from  the  sea,  and  still  more  land  suitable  for 
the  erection  of  business  warehouses  near  the  shore  is 
being  added  to  this  part  of  the  town.  Local  enter- 
prise, however,  is  pretty  much  suspended  for  the  time 
being,  owing  to  the  disturbed  condition  of  political 
affairs.  The  mountains  near  at  hand  supply  ample 
stone  and  soil  for  the  purpose  of  extending  the  area 
of  this  business  portion  of  the  town.  Sixty  or  seventy 
years  ago,  the  city  contained  only  a  single  street,  on 
the  edge  of  the  harbor;  to-day  it  has  all  the  appear- 
ance and  belongings  of  a  great  commercial  capital, 
and  a  population  of  a  hundred  and  thirty  thousand. 
Except  Rio  Janeiro  and  Buenos  Ayres,  we  saw  nowhere 
thoroughfares  more  full  of  energetic  life  and  business 
activity.  The  main  avenue  is  the  Calle  Victoria, 
which  runs  round  the  entire  water  front,  occupied  by 
the  banks,  hotels,  insurance  offices,  and  the  best  shops 
in  the  town. 

There  are  four  large  daily  newspapers  published  in 
Valparaiso,  whose  united  circulation  exceeds  thirty 
thousand  copies.  "El  Mercurio"  has  the  eminent 
respectability  of  age,  having  been  published  regularly 


VALPARAISO.  821 

for  a  period  of  half  a  century.  The  facility  for  news- 
gathering  is  very  good,  as  this  city  is  connected  with 
the  world  at  large  by  submarine  cable,  but  no  such 
detailed  and  complete  summary  of  intelligence  is  at- 
tempted as  our  North  American  journals  exhibit 
daily.  While  on  this  subject,  we  may  add  that  there 
are  no  newspapers  in  Europe,  or  elsewhere,  which  will 
compare  with  those  of  the  United  States  in  the  aver- 
age ability  and  journalistic  merit  which  characterizes 
them.  We  do  not  say  this  in  a  boastful  spirit,  but 
simply  make  the  statement  as  an  incontrovertible 
fact. 

Some  of  the  business  structures  along  the  harbor 
front  of  Valparaiso  are  fine  edifices  architecturally, 
and  many  of  the  retail  stores  will  compare  favorably 
with  the  average  of  ours  in  Washington  Street,  Bos- 
ton. The  elegant  class  of  goods  displayed  in  some  of 
these  establishments  shows  that  the  population  is  an 
habitually  extravagant  and  free-living  one.  We  were 
told,  by  way  of  illustration,  that  millionaires  were  as 
plenty  as  blackberries  before  the  late  civil  war,  while 
many  wealthy  men,  foreseeing  the  catastrophe  which 
was  about  to  occur,  shrewdly  prepared  for  it,  and 
by  careful  management  saved  their  property  intact. 
Many  of  the  private  houses  on  Victoria  Street  are 
spacious,  elegant,  and  costly,  the  occupants  living  in 
regal  style,  to  support  which  must  cost  a  very  heavy 
annual  outlay.  It  appears  that  President  Balmaceda 
discovered,  during  the  late  struggle,  where  and  how 
to  lay  his  hands  upon  the  resources  of  a  few  of  these 


322  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

citizens,  and  that  such  he  completely  impoverished, 
under  one  pretext  and  another,  using  their  property 
to  support  his  armed  minions,  and  to  swell  the  ag- 
gregate of  funds  which  he  sent  for  deposit  in  his 
own  name  to  Europe.  One  or  two  cases  of  this  sort 
were  related  to  us  in  which  the  citizens  were  not  only 
made  to  give  up  the  whole  of  their  private  property, 
but  were  finally  imprisoned  and  sentenced  to  death 
upon  a  charge  of  treason,  without  even  the  semblance 
of  a  trial ! 

It  is  no  marvel,  to  those  who  know  the  facts  of  his 
career,  that  a  man  who  was  guilty  of  such  crimes, 
when  at  last  brought  to  bay,  finding  himself  betrayed 
and  deserted  by  his  pretended  friends,  should  have 
blown  out  his  own  brains.  The  posthimious  papers 
which  he  left,  and  wherein  he  tries  to  pose  as  a  mar- 
tyr, are  simply  a  ludicrous  failure.  Jose  Manuel 
Balmaceda  was  in  the  fifty-second  year  of  his  age 
when  he  committed  suicide,  and  was  at  the  time  hiding 
for  fear  of  the  infuriated  citizens  of  Santiago,  who 
would  certainly  have  hanged  the  would  -  be  dictator 
without  the  least  hesitation  or  formality,  if  they  could 
have  got  possession  of  his  person. 

The  tramway-cars  of  Valparaiso  are  of  the  two- 
story  pattern,  like  those  of  Copenhagen  and  New  Or- 
leans, also  found  in  many  of  the  European  cities. 
They  have  as  conductors,  like  Concepcion,  very  pretty 
half-breed  girls,  who  appear  to  thoroughly  understand 
their  business,  and  to  fulfill  its  requirements  to  univer- 
sal satisfaction.     If  an  intoxicated  or  unruly  person 


CHILIAN  COSTUMES.  323 

appears  on  the  cars,  the  conductress  does  not  attempt 
personally  to  eject  him.  She  has  only  to  hold  up 
her  hand,  and  the  nearest  policeman,  of  whom  there 
are  always  a  goodly  number  about,  jumps  on  to  the 
car  and  settles  the  matter  in  short  order.  Girls  were 
thus  first  employed  in  order  that  the  men  who  ordi- 
narily fill  these  places  might  be  drafted  into  the  army, 
during  the  late  war  between  Chili  and  Peru,  and  as 
the  system  proved  to  be  a  complete  success,  it  has  been 
continued  ever  since.  The  fare  charged  on  these  tram- 
cars  is  five  cents  for  each  inside  passenger,  and  half 
that  sum  for  the  outside ;  and,  as  in  Paris,  when  the 
seats  are  all  full,  a  little  sign  is  shown  upon  the  car, 
signifying  that  no  more  persons  will  be  admitted, 
none  being  allowed  to  stand.  The  same  rule  is  en- 
forced in  London,  and  the  thought  suggested  itself  as 
to  whether  our  West  End  Railway  Company  of  Bos- 
ton might  not  take  an  important  hint  therefrom. 

The  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  the  city  are  a  well- 
dressed  class,  the  former  adopting  Parisian  costumes, 
and  the  gentlemen  wearing  a  full  dress  of  dark  broad- 
cloth, with  tall  stove-pipe  hats.  The  women  of  the 
more  common  class  wear  the  national  "manta,"  and 
the  men  the  "poncha."  The  former  is  a  dark,  soft 
shawl  which  covers  in  part  the  head  and  face  of  the 
wearer.  The  latter  is  a  long,  striped  shawl,  with  a 
slit  cut  in  the  centre,  through  which  the  head  of  the 
wearer  is  thrust.  Nothing  coidd  be  more  simple  in 
construction  than  both  of  these  garments,  and  yet 
they  are  somehow  very  picturesque. 


324  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

As  we  have  already  intimated,  it  is  soon  learned, 
upon  landing  at  any  port  of  the  commercial  world, 
what  the  staple  products  of  the  neighborhood  are,  by 
simply  noting  the  visible  merchandise  made  ready  for 
shipment.  Here  we  have  sugar,  wool,  and  cotton 
prevailing  over  all  other  articles.  Guano  and  nitrate, 
which  also  form  specialties  here,  are  represented, 
though  the  supply  of  the  former  is  pretty  much  ex- 
hausted. The  nitrate  trade  is  controlled  by  an  Eng- 
lishman of  large  fortune,  Colonel  North,  known  here 
as  the  "Nitrate  King."  This  valuable  fertilizer  is 
the  deposit  of  the  nitrate  of  soda  in  the  beds  of  lakes 
long  since  dried  up,  the  waters  of  which  originally 
contained  in  solution  large  quantities  of  this  material. 
These  lakes  in  olden  times  received  the  flow  of  a  great 
water-shed,  and  having  no  outlet,  save  by  evapora- 
tion, accumulated  and  precipitated  at  the  bottom  the 
chemical  elements  flowing  into  them  from  the  sur- 
rounding country.  The  article  is  now  dug  up  and 
put  through  a  certain  process,  then  shipped  to  foreign 
countries  as  a  fertilizer,  believed  to  put  new  heart  into 
exhausted  soil.  England  consumes  an  immense  quan- 
tity of  it  annually,  and  many  ships  are  regularly  em- 
ployed in  its  transportation. 

The  custom  house,  situated  near  the  landing  at 
Valparaiso,  is  a  somewhat  remarkable  structure,  hav- 
ing a  long,  low  faQade  surmounted  by  tall,  handsome 
towers.  This  is  eminently  the  business  part  of  the 
town,  and  is  called  "El  Puerto."  The  larger  share 
of  the  residences  of  the  merchants  and  well-to-do  citi- 


EDUCATION.  325 

zens  is  situated  on  the  hillsides,  to  reach  which  it  is 
necessary  to  ascend  long  flights  of  steps.  At  certain 
points  elevators  are  also  supplied  by  which  access  is 
gained  to  the  upper  portions  of  the  town,  after  the 
fashion  already  described  at  Bahia,  on  the  east  coast. 
The  majority  of  people  doing  business  in  Valparaiso 
are  English,  and  English  is  the  almost  universal  lan- 
guage. Even  the  names  upon  the  city  signs  are  sug- 
gestive in  this  direction.  Among  the  public  houses 
are  the  "Queen's  Arms,"  the  "Royal  Oak,"  the  "Red 
Lion,"  and  so  on.  Besides  an  English  school,  there 
are  three  churches  belonging  to  that  nationality. 
There  are  numerous  free  schools,  both  of  a  primary 
and  advanced  character,  an  elaborately  organized  col- 
lege, two  or  three  theatres,  and  the  usual  charitable 
establishments,  including  a  public  library.  The 
principal  part  of  the  city  is  lighted  by  electricity, 
and  the  telephone  is  in  general  use.  A  special  effort 
has  lately  been  made  to  promote  the  education  of  the 
rising  generation  in  Chili,  and  we  know  of  no  field 
where  the  endeavor  would  be  more  opportune.  Such 
an  effort  is  never  out  of  place,  but  here  it  is  impera- 
tively called  for.  The  almost  universal  ignorance  of 
the  common  people  of  Chili  is  deplorable,  and  little 
improvement  can  be  hoped  for  as  regards  their  moral 
or  physical  condition,  except  through  the  means  of 
educating  the  youth  of  the  country.  A  commissioner- 
general  of  education  was  appointed  some  time  ago, 
who  has  already  visited  Europe  and  North  America 
to  study  the  best  modern  methods  adopted  in  the  pub- 


326  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

lie  schools.  This  is  a  tangible  evidence  of  improve- 
ment which  speaks  for  itself,  and  is  a  great  stride  of 
this  people  in  the  right  direction.  Of  course  the 
late  political  crisis  will  greatly  retard  the  hoped-for 
results,  just  as  it  will  put  Chili  back  some  years  in 
her  national  progress,  whatever  may  be  the  final  out- 
come in  other  respects. 

Gambling  is  a  prevailing  national  trait  in  this  coun- 
try, by  no  means  confined  to  any  one  class  of  the 
community.  The  street  gamin  plays  for  copper  cen- 
tavos,  while  the  pretentious  caballero  does  the  same 
for  gold  coins.  It  is  quite  common  in  family  circles, 
held  to  be  very  aristocratic,  to  see  the  gaming  table 
laid  out  every  evening,  as  regularly  as  the  table  upon 
which  the  meals  are  served.  Money  in  large  sums  is 
lost  and  won  with  assumed  indifference  in  these  pri- 
vate circles,  whole  fortunes  being  sometimes  sacrificed 
at  a  single  sitting.  Gambling  seems  to  be  held  ex- 
empt from  the  censure  of  either  church  or  state,  since 
both  officials  and  priests  indulge  in  all  sorts  of  games 
of  chance.  There  are  the  usual  public  lotteries  always 
going  on  to  tempt  the  poorer  classes  of  the  people,  and 
to  capture  their  hard-earned  wages. 

One  virtue  must  be  freely  accorded  to  the  business 
centre  of  this  city,  namely,  that  of  cleanliness,  in 
which  respect  it  is  far  in  advance  of  most  of  the  cap- 
itals on  the  east  coast  of  South  America.  Being  the 
first  seaport  of  any  importance  in  the  South  Pacific, 
it  is  naturally  a  place  of  call  for  European  bound 
steamers  coming  from  New  Zealand  and  Australia, 


EMIGRATION.  327 

as  well  as  those  sailing  from  Panama  and  San  Fran- 
cisco. In  view  of  the  fact  that  six  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  people  emigrate  from  Europe  annually,  seek- 
ing new  homes  in  foreign  lands,  the  Chilian  gov- 
ernment, in  common  with  some  others  of  the  South 
American  states,  has  for  several  years  past  held 
forth  the  liberal  inducement  of  substantial  aid  to  all 
bona  fide  settlers  from  foreign  countries.  Each  new- 
comer who  is  the  head  of  a  family  is  given  two  hun- 
dred acres  of  available  land,  together  with  lumber  and 
other  materials  for  building  a  comfortable  dwelling- 
house,  also  a  cart,  a  plough,  and  a  reasonable  amotmt 
of  seed  for  planting.  Besides  these  favors  which  we 
have  enumerated,  some  other  important  considerations 
are  offered.  Only  a  small  number,  comparatively 
speaking,  of  emigrants  have  availed  themselves  of 
such  liberal  terms,  and  these  have  been  mostly  Ger- 
mans. If  such  an  offer  were  properly  promulgated 
and  laid  before  the  poor  peasantry  of  Ireland  and 
Spain  and  Italy,  it  would  seem  as  though  many  of 
those  people  would  hasten  to  accept  it  in  the  hope 
of  bettering  their  condition  in  life.  Whether  such 
a  result  would  follow  emigration  would  of  course  de- 
pend upon  many  other  things  besides  the  liberality 
of  the  offer  of  the  Chilian  government.  The  Ger- 
mans form  a  good  class  of  emigrants,  perhaps  the 
best,  often  bringing  with  them  considerable  pecuniary 
means,  together  with  habits  of  industry.  The  late 
civil  war  has  put  a  stop  to  emigration  for  a  period  at 
least,  and  will  interfere  with  its  success  for  some  time 


328^  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

to  come,  if  indeed  Chili  ever  assumes  quite  so  favor- 
able a  condition  as  she  has  sacrificed. 

There  are  some  districts,  including  Limache  and 
Pauquehue,  where  grape  culture  has  been  brought  to 
great  perfection,  and  where  it  is  conducted  on  a  very 
large  scale.  Wine-making  is  thus  taking  its  place  as 
one  of  the  prosperous  industries  of  the  country.  The 
amount  of  the  native  product  consumed  at  home  is 
very  large,  and  a  regular  system  of  exports  to  other 
South  American  ports  has  been  established.  All  of 
the  most  important  modes  of  culture,  such  as  have 
been  proven  most  successful  in  France  and  California, 
have  been  carefully  adopted  here.  Tramways  are  laid 
to  intersect  the  various  parts  of  these  extensive  vine- 
yards, to  aid  in  the  gathering  and  transportation  of 
the  ripe  fruit,  while  the  appliances  for  expressing  the 
juice  of  the  grape  are  equally  well  systematized.  One 
vineyard,  belonging  to  the  Consino  family,  near  San- 
tiago, covers  some  two  hundred  acres,  closely  planted 
with  selected  vines  from  France,  Switzerland,  and 
California,  the  purpose  being  to  retain  permanently 
such  grades  as  are  found  best  adapted  to  the  soil  and 
the  climate  of  Chili.  The  white  wines  are  the  most 
popular  here,  but  red  Burgundy  brands  are  produced 
with  good  success.  The  vines  are  trained  on  triple 
lines  of  wires,  stretched  between  iron  posts,  present- 
ing an  appearance  of  great  uniformity,  the  long  rows 
being  planted  about  three  or  four  feet  apart.  Every 
arrangement  for  artificial  irrigation  is  provided,  it 
being  an  absolute  necessity  in  this  district  of  Chili. 


GEOGRAPHY  OF  CHILI.  329 

Trenches  are  cut  along  the  rows  of  vines,  through 
which  the  water,  from  ample  reservoirs,  is  permitted 
to  flow  at  certain  intervals ;  particularly  when  the  grape 
begins  to  swell  and  ripen.  The  fruit  is  not  trodden 
here,  as  it  is  in  Italy,  but  is  thoroughly  expressed  by 
means  of  proper  machinery. 

Geographically,  Chili  is,  as  we  have  intimated,  a 
long,  narrow  country,  lying  south  of  Peru  and  Bo- 
livia, ribbon-like  in  form,  and  divided  into  nineteen 
provinces.  It  has  been  considerably  enlarged  by  con- 
quest from  both  of  the  nationalities  just  named ;  in- 
cluding the  important  territory  of  Terapaca.  The 
name  "Chili"  signifies  snow,  with  which  the  tops  of 
most  of  the  mountain  ranges  upon  the  eastern  border 
are  always  covered.  Still,  extending  as  she  does, 
from  latitude  24°  south  to  Cape  Horn,  she  embraces 
every  sort  of  climate,  from  burning  heat  to  glacial 
frosts,  while  nearly  everything  that  grows  can  be  pro- 
duced upon  her  soil.  Though  she  has  less  than  three 
million  inhabitants,  still  her  territory  exceeds  that 
of  any  European  nationality  except  Russia.  The 
manifest  difference  between  the  aggregate  of  her  pop- 
idation  and  that  of  her  square  miles  does  not  speak 
very  favorably  for  the  healthful  character  of  the  cli- 
mate. There  is  no  use  in  attempting  to  disguise  the 
fact  that  Chili  has  rather  a  hard  time  of  it,  with 
sweeping  epidemics,  frequent  earthquakes,  and  de- 
vouring tidal  waves.  The  country  contains  thirty 
volcanoes,  none  of  which  are  permanently  active,  but 
all  of  which  have  their  periods  of  eruption,  and  most 


330  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

of  which  exhibit  their  dangerous  nature  by  emitting 
sulphurous  smoke  and  ashes.  The  unhygienic  condi- 
tion of  life  among  her  native  races  accounts  for  the 
large  death-rate  prevailing  at  all  times,  and  especially 
among  the  peon  children,  thus  preventing  a  natural 
increase  in  the  population.  Unless  a  liberal  immi- 
gration can  be  induced.  Chili  must  annually  decrease 
in  population.  As  regards  the  foreign  whites  and 
the  educated  natives  who  indulge  in  no  extravagant 
excesses,  living  with  a  reasonable  regard  for  hygiene, 
doubtless  Chili  is  as  healthy  as  most  countries,  but 
there  is  still  to  be  remembered  the  erratic  exhibitions 
of  nature,  a  possibility  always  hanging  like  the  sword 
of  Damocles  over  this  region.  A  whole  town  may, 
without  the  least  warning,  vanish  from  the  face  of  the 
earth  in  the  space  of  five  minutes,  or  be  left  a  mass 
of  ruins. 

It  is  in  the  districts  of  the  north  that  the  rich  mines 
and  the  nitrate  fields  are  foimd,  but  the  central  por- 
tion of  the  country,  and  particularly  towards  the 
south,  is  the  section  where  the  greatest  agricultural 
results  are  realized,  and  which  will  continue  to  yield 
in  abundance  after  the  mineral  wealth  shall  have  be- 
come quite  exhausted.  The  southern  portion  of  the 
country  embraces  Patagonia,  which  has  lately  been 
divided  between  Chili  and  the  Argentine  Republic. 
In  short.  Chili  is  no  exception  to  the  rule  that  agricul- 
ture, and  not  mining  products,  is  the  true  and  perma- 
nent reliance  of  any  country. 

A  little  less  than  four  hundred  miles  off  the  shore 


JUAN  FERNANDEZ.  331 

of  Valparaiso,  on  the  same  line  of  latitude,  is  the 
memorable  island  of  Juan  Fernandez.     It  is  politi- 
cally an  unimportant  dependence  of  Chili,  though  of 
late  years  it  has  indirectly  been  made  the  means  of 
producing   some    income   for   the   national   treasury. 
There  was  a  period  in  which  Chili  maintained  a  penal 
colony  here,  but  the  convicts  mutinied,  and  massacred 
the  officers  who  had  charge  of  them.     These  convicts 
succeeded  in  getting  away  from  the  island  on  passing 
ships.     No  attempt  has  been  made  since  that  time  to 
reestablish  a  penal   colony  on  this  island.      To-day 
the  place  is  occupied  by  thriving  vegetable  garden- 
ers, and  raisers  of   stock.      Every  intelligent  youth 
will  remember  the  island  as  the  spot  where  De  Foe 
laid  the  scene  of  his  popular  and  fascinating  story 
of  "Robinson  Crusoe."    The  island  is  about  twenty 
miles  long  by  ten  broad,  and  is  covered  with  dense 
tropical  verdure,  gentle  hills,   sheltered  valleys,  and 
thrifty  woods.    Juan  Fernandez  resembles  the  Azores 
in  the   North   Atlantic.     Though   generally   spoken 
of  in  the  singular,  there  are  actually  three  islands 
here,    forming  a  small,   compact    group,    known    as 
Inward  Island,   Outward  Island,  and  Great  Island. 
Many   intelligent    people    think    that    the    story   of 
Robinson   Crusoe  is  a  pure  fabrication,    but  this  is 
not  so.     De  Foe  availed  himself  of  an  actual  occur- 
rence, and  put  it  into  readable  form,  adding  a  few 
romantic  episodes  to  season  the  story  for  the  taste  of 
the  million.     It  was  in  a  measure  truth,  which  he 
stamped  with  the  image  of  his  own  genius.     Occa- 


332  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

sionally  some  enthusiastic  admirer  of  De  Foe  comes 
thousands  of  miles  out  of  the  beaten  track  of  travel  to 
visit  this  group  of  islands,  by  the  way  of  Valparaiso. 
Grapes,  figs,  and  other  tropical  fruits  abound  at  Juan 
Fernandez.  It  is  said  that  several  thousand  people 
might  be  easily  supported  by  the  natural  resources  of 
these  islands,  and  the  abundance  of  fish  which  fill  the 
neighboring  waters.  An  English  naval  commander 
stopped  here  in  1741,  to  recruit  his  ships'  crews,  and 
to  repair  some  damages.  While  here  he  caused  vari- 
ous seeds  to  be  planted  for  the  advantage  of  any  mar- 
iners who  might  follow.  The  benefit  of  this  Christian 
act  has  been  realized  by  many  seamen  since  that  date. 
Fruits,  grain,  and  vegetables  are  now  produced  by 
spontaneous  fertility  annually,  which  were  not  before 
to  be  found  here.  The  English  commander  also  left 
goats  and  swine  to  run  wild,  and  to  multiply,  and 
these  animals  are  numerous  there  to-day. 

Juan  Fernandez  has  one  tall  peak,  nearly  three 
thousand  feet  high,  which  the  pilots  point  out  long 
before  the  rest  of  the  island  is  seen.  It  was  from  this 
lofty  lookout  that  Alexander  Selkirk  was  wont  to 
watch  daily  in  the  hope  of  sighting  some  passing  ship, 
by  which  he  might  be  released  from  his  imprisonment. 
There  are  about  one  hundred  residents  upon  the  group 
to-day,  it  having  been  leased  by  the  Chilian  govern- 
ment as  a  stock  ranch  for  the  breeding  of  goats  and 
cattle,  as  well  as  for  the  raising  of  vegetables  for  the 
market  of  Valparaiso.  There  are  said  to  be  thirty 
thousand  horned  cattle,  and  many  sheep,  upon  these 


BURIED   TREASURES.  333 

islands.  Occasional  excursion  parties  are  made  up 
at  Valparaiso  to  visit  the  group  by  steamboat,  for  the 
purpose  of  shooting  seals  and  mountain  goats.  Sto- 
ries are  told  of  Juan  Fernandez  having  been  formerly 
made  the  headquarters  of  pirates  who  came  from 
thence  to  ravage  the  towns  on  the  coast  of  the  conti- 
nent, and  it  is  believed  by  the  credulous  that  much  of 
the  iU-gotten  wealth  of  the  buccaneers  still  remains 
hidden  there.  In  search  of  this  supposititious  treasure, 
expeditions  have  been  fitted  out  in  past  years  at 
Valparaiso,  and  many  an  acre  of  ground  has  been 
vainly  dug  over  in  seeking  for  piratical  gold,  supposed 
to  be  buried  there.  Some  of  the  shrewd  stock  raisers 
of  Juan  Fernandez  are  ready,  for  a  consideration,  to 
point  out  to  seekers  the  most  probable  places  where , 
such  treasures  might  have  been  buried. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

The  Port  of  Callao.  —  A  Submerged   City.  —  Peruvian   Exports.  — 
A  Dirty  and  Unwholesome  Town.  —  Cinchona  Bark.  —  The  Andes. 

—  The  Llama.  —  A  National  Dance.  —  City  of  Lima.  —  An  Old  and 
Interesting  Capital.  —  Want  of  Rain.  —  Pizarro  and  His  Crimes.  — 
A  Grand  Cathedral.  —  Chilian  Soldiers  — Costly  Churches  of  Peru. 

—  Roman  Catholic  Influence.  —  Desecration  of  the  Sabbath. 

The  passage  northward  from  Valparaiso  to  Callao 
occupies  about  four  days  by  the  steamers  which  do 
not  stop  at  intermediate  ports.  We  entered  the  har- 
bor in  the  early  morning  while  a  soft  veil  of  mist  en- 
shrouded the  bay,  but  as  the  sun  fairly  shone  upon 
the  view,  this  aerial  screen  rapidly  disappeared,  reveal- 
ing Callao  just  in  front  of  us,  making  the  foreground 
of  a  pleasing  and  vivid  picture,  the  middle  distance 
filled  by  the  ancient  city  of  Lima,  and  the  far  back- 
ground by  alpine  ranges.  Callao  is  an  ill-built 
though  important  town,  with  a  population  of  about 
thirty  thousand,  and  serves  as  the  port  for  Lima,  the 
capital  of  Peru.  It  has  a  good  harbor,  well  protected 
by  the  island  of  San  Lorenzo,  which,  with  the  small 
island  of  El  Fronton,  and  the  Palminos  reef,  forms 
a  protection  against  the  constant  swell  of  the  ocean. 
There  are  nearly  always  one  or  two  ships  of  war  be- 
longing to  foreign  nations  in  the  harbor,  and  large 
steamships  from  the  north  or  the  south.     The  sailing 


EARTHQUAKES.  335 

distance  from  Panama  is  fifteen  hundred  miles.  The 
Callao  of  to-day  is  comparatively  modern.  Old  Cal- 
lao  formerly  stood  on  a  tongue  of  land  opposite  San 
Lorenzo,  but  in  1746  an  earthquake  submerged  it  and 
drowned  some  five  thousand  of  the  inhabitants,  found- 
ered a  score  of  ships,  and  stranded  a  Spanish  man-of- 
war.  In  calm  weather  one  can  row  a  boat  over  the 
spot  where  the  old  city  stood,  and  see  the  ruins  far 
down  in  the  deep  waters.  The  present  city  has  twice 
been  near  to  sharing  the  same  fate:  once  in  1825, 
and  again  in  1868.  It  is,  therefore,  not  assuming 
too  much  to  say  that  Callao  may  at  any  time  disap- 
pear in  the  most  summary  fashion.  The  sunken  ruins 
in  the  harbor  are  a  melancholy  and  suggestive  sight, 
the  duplicate  of  which  we  do  not  believe  can  be  found 
elsewhere  on  the  globe.  Though  seismic  disturbances 
are  of  such  frequent  occurrence,  and  are  so  destruc- 
tive on  the  west  coast  of  South  America,  they  are 
hardly  known  on  the  Atlantic  or  eastern  side  of  the 
continent.  That  they  are  frequently  coincident  with 
volcanic  disturbances  indicates  that  there  is  an  inti- 
mate connection  between  them,  but  yet  earthquakes 
often  occur  in  regions  where  volcanoes  do  not  exist. 
This  was  the  case,  not  long  since,  as  most  of  our 
readers  will  remember,  in  South  Carolina.  It  has 
been  noticed  by  careful  observers  that  animals  become 
uneasy  on  the  eve  of  such  an  event,  which  wovdd  seem 
to  show  that  earthquakes  sometimes  owe  their  origin 
to  extraordinary  atmospheric  conditions. 

San  Lorenzo  is  about  six  miles  from  Callao,  and  is 


336  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

four  miles  long  by  one  in  width.  It  is  utterly  bar- 
ren, presenting  a  mass  of  brownish  gray  color,  eleven 
hundred  feet  high,  at  whose  base  there  is  ever  a  broad, 
snow-white  ruffle,  caused  by  the  never-ceasing  ocean 
swell  breaking  into  foam.  An  English  smelting  com- 
pany has  established  extensive  works  near  the  shore  of 
the  island,  for  the  reduction  of  silver  and  copper  ores. 
The  approach  to  Callao  from  the  sea  affords  a  fine 
view  of  the  undulating  shore,  backed  by  the  snowy 
Cordilleras,  the  shabby  buildings  of  the  town,  with 
the  dismantled  castle  of  San  Felipe  forming  the  fore- 
ground. In  landing  one  must  be  cautious :  there  is 
always  considerable  swell  in  the  harbor. 

The  staple  products  of  this  region  are  represented 
by  packages  of  merchandise  prepared  for  shipment, 
and  which  are  the  first  to  attract  one's  attention  upon 
landing,  such  as  cinchona  bark  from  the  native  for- 
ests, piles  of  wheat  in  bulk,  hides,  quantities  of  crude 
salt,  sugar  packed  in  dried  banana  leaves,  bales  of 
alpaca  wool,  and,  most  suggestive  of  all,  some  heavy 
bags  of  silver  ore.  Little  is  being  done  in  mining  at 
present,  though  the  field  for  this  industry  is  large. 
The  difficulty  of  transportation  is  one  of  the  great 
drawbacks,  yet  Peru  has  over  a  thousand  miles  of  rail- 
ways in  her  rather  limited  area.  Gold,  platinum, 
silver,  and  copper  are  all  found  in  paying  quantities. 
Coal  and  petroleum  also  exist  here,  in  various  inland 
districts.  The  guano  deposits,  which  have  yielded  so 
much  wealth  to  Peru  in  the  past,  are  practically 
exhausted,  while  the  nitrate-producing  province   of 


CALLAO.  337 

Tarapaca  has  been  stolen  by  Chili,  to  which  it  now 
belongs.  It  is  thought  that  the  nitrate  deposits  can 
be  profitably  worked  for  fifty  years  to  come. 

A  crowd  of  the  lazy,  ragged  population  were  loaf- 
ing about  the  landing,  watching  the  strangers  as  they 
came  on  shore  at  the  wet  and  slippery  stone  steps. 

It  is  very  plain  that  the  great  importance  of  Callao 
has  departed,  though  there  is  still  an  appearance  of 
business  activity.  Not  long  ago,  a  hundred  vessels  at 
a  time  might  be  seen  at  anchor  inside  of  San  Lorenzo ; 
now,  a  score  of  good-sized  ships  are  all  one  can  count. 
This  is  owing  to  various  causes :  an  unreasonable  high 
tariff  is  one  of  them,  exorbitant  port  charges  is  an- 
other, and  the  general  depression  of  business  on  the 
west  coast  is  felt  quite  as  strongly  here  as  at  any  of 
the  ports.  Like  Santos,  on  the  other  side  of  the  con- 
tinent, Callao  is  ever  an  imhealthy  resort,  where  a 
great  mortality  prevails  in  the  fever  season.  The  ab- 
sence of  good  drainage  and  inattention  to  hygienic 
rules  wiU  in  part  account  for  the  bad  repute  that  the 
port  has  among  the  shipping  masters  who  frequent  the 
coast.  The  streets  are  particularly  malodorous  about 
the  water  front.  The  dirty  vidtures  seem  to  be  de- 
pended upon  to  remove  offensive  garbage. 

A  certain  remarkable  occurrence  sometimes  takes 
place  in  this  harbor,  which,  so  far  as  the  \yriter 
knows,  is  without  precedent  elsewhere.  A  ship  may 
come  in  from  sea  and  anchor  at  about  sunset,  in  good 
order  and  condition,  everything  being  white  and  clean 
on  board,  but  when  her  captain  comes  on  deck  the 


338  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

next  morning,  he  may  find  that  his  ship  has  been 
painted,  inside  and  out,  a  dark  chocolate  color  dur- 
ing the  night,  the  atmosphere  at  the  same  time  being 
impregnated  with  a  peculiar  odor,  arising  from  this 
"paint,"  or  whatever  it  may  be,  which  clings  tena- 
ciously to  every  object,  wood  or  iron.  While  it  is 
damp  and  freshly  deposited,  it  can  be  removed  like 
fresh  paint,  but  if  it  is  permitted  to  dry,  it  is  as  diffi- 
cult to  remove  as  ordinary  dried  paint  would  be.  No 
one  can  tell  the  origin  of  this  nuisance,  but  most  sea- 
men whose  business  brings  them  to  Callao  have  been 
through  this  experience.  Of  course  it  must  be  an  at- 
mospheric deposit,  but  from  whence?  It  has  never 
been  known  to  occur  upon  the  neighboring  land,  but 
only  in  the  harbor.  Scientists  have  given  the  matter 
their  attention,  and  have  concluded  that  it  may  be 
caused  by  sulphurous  gases  produced  in  the  earth 
below  the  water,  which  rise  to  the  surface  and  dissem- 
inate themselves  in  the  surrounding  atmosphere. 

From  any  elevated  point  in  the  city  one  may  enjoy 
a  delightful  view,  the  main  features  of  which  are  the 
Andes  on  the  land  side,  and  seaward,  the  broad  heav- 
ing bosom  of  the  Pacific.  The  corrugated  peaks  of 
the  former,  clad  in  white,  seem  like  restless  phantoms 
marching  through  the  sky.  Over  the  latter,  long 
lines,  of  inky  blackness  trail  behind  northern  or  south- 
em  bound  steamers,  while  here  and  there  a  tall,  full- 
rigged  ship  recalls  the  older  modes  of  navigation. 

The  smoother  water  inside  of  San  Lorenzo  is  alive 
with  small  boats,  some  under  sails,  some  propelled  by 


CINCHONA   BARK.  339 

oars,  shooting  in  and  out  among  the  shipping  which 
lie  at  anchor  before  the  town.  A  pair  of  large  whales 
assisted  at  this  scene  for  our  special  benefit,  just  in- 
side the  harbor's  mouth.  It  must  have  been  only 
play  on  their  part,  —  leviathans  at  play,  —  but  they 
threw  up  the  sea  in  such  clouds  of  spray  with  their 
broad  tails,  as  to  make  it  appear  like  a  battle-royal 
seen  from  a  mile  away. 

We  mentioned  the  fact  of  seeing  cinchona  bark  in 
bales  ready  for  shipping.  Of  all  the  products  of 
South  America,  gold,  silver,  and  precious  stones  in- 
cluded, the  most  valuable  is  the  drug  which  is  called 
quinine,  made  from  the  bark  of  the  cinchona  tree. 
There  is  no  other  one  article  known  to  the  materia 
medica  which  has  been  used  in  such  large  quantities 
or  with  such  unvarying  success  by  suffering  human- 
ity. It  was  first  introduced  into  Europe  from  Peru, 
and  was  then  known  as  Peruvian  bark.  It  was  sup- 
posed at  that  time  to  be  found  only  in  this  section  of 
the  continent ;  but  subsequently  it  was  discovered  to 
aboimd  in  all  the  forests  along  the  course  of  the  Andes, 
and  especially  on  their  western  slope.  So  large  has 
been  its  export  that  it  was  found  the  source  of  supply 
was  rapidly  becoming  exhausted,  until  local  govern- 
ments awoke  to  the  importance  of  the  matter,  and 
protected  by  law  the  trees  which  produce  it.  These 
are  no  longer  ruthlessly  cut  down  to  die,  when  yield- 
ing their  valuable  harvest,  but  only  a  certain  quantity 
of  the  desirable  bai-k  is  taken  from  each  tree  annu- 
ally, so  that  nature  replaces  the  portion  which  had 


340  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

been  removed,  by  covering  the  trunk  with  a  fresh 
gi'owth.  The  cinchona  tree,  having  been  transplanted 
from  South  America,  is  now  successfully  cultivated 
in  the  islands  of  the  Malacca  Straits,  Ceylon,  India, 
and  other  tropical  regions. 

The  tree  which  produces  this  valuable  febrifuge 
belongs  to  the  same  family  as  the  coffee  plant.  In  ap- 
pearance it  is  very  like  our  native  beech  tree,  having 
remarkably  white  wood. 

The  llama  is  found  nearly  all  over  South  America, 
and  is  often  seen  as  a  beast  of  burden  at  Callao,  tak- 
ing the  place  here  which  the  donkey  or  burro  fills  in 
Mexico.  It  has  been  described  as  having  the  head 
and  neck  of  a  camel,  the  body  of  a  deer,  the  wool  of 
a  sheep,  and  the  neigh  of  a  horse.  We  do  not  agree 
with  those  who  pronounce  the  Uama  an  awkward 
creature.  True,  the  body  is  a  little  ungainly,  but  the 
head,  the  graceful  pose,  the  pointed,  delicate  ears,  and 
the  large,  lustrous  eyes  are  absolutely  handsome.  It 
can  carry  a  burden  weighing  one  hundred  pounds 
over  hard  mountain  roads,  day  after  day,  while  liv- 
ing upon  very  scanty  food.  It  is  slow  in  its  move- 
ments, patient  when  well  treated,  and  {Particularly 
sure-footed.  It  is  of  a  very  gentle  disposition,  but 
when  it  finds  the  weight  placed  upon  its  back  too 
heavy,  like  the  Egyptian  camel,  it  immediately  lies 
down  and  will  not  rise  until  the  load  is  lightened. 
The  llama,  or  "mountain  camel,"  as  it  has  been  aptly 
called,  is  the  only  domesticated  native  animal.  The 
horse,  ox,  hog,  and  sheep  are  all  importations  which 


A   NATIVE  DANCE.  341 

were  entirely  unknown  here  four  centuries  ago.  The 
llama  has  two  notable  peculiarities:  when  angry  it 
will  expectorate  at  its  enemy,  and  when  hurt  will  shed 
tears.  The  expectoration  is  of  an  acrid,  semi-poison- 
ous nature,  and  if  it  strikes  the  eyes  will,  it  is  said, 
blind  them.  The  llama,  guanaco,  alpaca,  and  vicuna 
were  the  four  sheep  of  the  Incas,  the  wool  of  the  first 
clothing  the  common  people;  the  second,  the  nobles; 
the  third,  the  royal  governors;  and  the  fourth  the 
Incas.  The  first  two  are  domesticated,  guanacos  and 
vicunas  are  wild,  though  the^  all  belong  to  the  same 
family. 

The  manners  and  customs  of  any  people  new  to  the 
traveler  are  always  an  interesting  study,  but  in  no- 
thing are  they  more  strongly  individualized  than  in  the 
pursuit  of  amusements.  A  favorite  dance,  known 
here  as  the  zama  cueca,  is  often  witnessed  out-of-doors 
in  retired  corners  of  the  plaza  or  the  alameda,  as  well 
as  elsewhere.  It  requires  two  performers,  and  is  gen- 
erally danced  by  a  male  and  female,  being  not  unlike 
the  Parisian  cancan,  both  in  the  movement  and  the 
purpose  of  the  expression.  The  two  dancers  stand 
opposite  each  other,  each  having  a  pocket  handker- 
chief in  the  right  hand,  while  the  music  begins  at 
first  a  dull,  monotonous  air,  which  rapidly  rises  and 
falls  in  cadence.  The  dancers  approach  each  other, 
swaying  their  bodies  gracefidly,  and  using  their  limbs 
nimbly;  now  they  pass  each  other,  turning  in  the  act 
to  coquettishly  wave  the  handkerchief  about  their 
heads,  and  also  to  snap  it  towards  each  other's  faces. 


342  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

Thus  they  advance  and  retreat  several  times,  whip- 
ping at  each  other's  faces,  while  throwing  their  bodies 
into  peculiar  attitudes.  Again  they  resume  the  first 
movement  of  advance  and  retreat,  one  assuming  coy- 
ness, the  other  ardor,  and  thus  continue,  until,  as  a 
sort  of  climax,  they  fall  into  each  other's  arms  with  a 
peal  of  hearty  laughter.  A  guitar  is  the  usual  accom- 
panying instrument,  the  player  uttering  the  while  a 
shrill  impromptu  chant.  When  a  male  dancer  joins 
in  this  street  performance,  as  is  sometimes  the  case,  it 
is  apt  to  be  a  little  coarse  and  vulgar. 

There  is  very  little  in  Callao  to  detain  us,  and  one 
is  quite  ready  to  hasten  on  to  Lima,  the  capital  of 
Peru,  hoping  to  escape  the  stench  and  universal  dirti- 
ness of  the  port. 

The  city  of  Lima  has  at  this  writing  about  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  thousand  inhabitants,  and  is  situated 
six  miles  from  Callao,  its  shipping  port,  with  which 
it  is  connected  by  two  rival  railways.  These  roads 
are  constructed  upon  an  up-grade  the  whole  distance, 
but  the  rise  is  so  gradual  as  to  be  almost  impercep- 
tible, though  Lima  is  over  five  hundred  feet  higher 
than  Callao.  The  capital,  which  is  clearly  visible 
from  the  water  as  we  enter  the  harbor,  presents  from 
that  distance,  and  even  from  a  much  nearer  point  of 
view,  a  most  pleasing  picture,  being  favorably  sit- 
uated on  elevated  ground,  with  its  many  spires  and 
domes  standing  forth  in  bold  relief.  It  has,  when 
seen  from  such  a  distance,  a  certain  oriental  appear- 
ance, charming  to  the  eye  of  a  stranger.     But  it  is 


THE  RIVER  RIM  AC.  343 

deceptive;  it  is  indeed  distance  which  lends  enchant- 
ment in  this  case,  for  upon  arriving  within  its  pre- 
cincts one  is  rudely  undeceived.  The  apparently 
grand  array  of  architecture  on  near  inspection  proves 
to  be  flimsy  and  poor  in  detail :  everything  is  bamboo 
frame  and  plaster;  no  edifice  is  solid  above  the  base- 
ment. Still,  one  can  easily  imagine  how  attractive 
the  place  must  have  been  in  those  viceregal  days,  the 
period  of  its  false  glory  and  prosperity.  The  cap- 
ital stands  almost  at  the  very  foot  of  the  Cordillera 
which  forms  the  coast  range,  and  is  built  upon  both 
sides  of  the  Rimac,  over  which  stretches  a  substan- 
tial stone  bridge  of  six  arches,  very  old  and  very 
homely,  but  all  the  more  interesting  because  it  is  so 
venerable.  The  width  of  the  river  at  this  point  is  over 
five  hundred  feet.  In  the  winter  season  it  is  a  very 
moderate  stream,  but  when  the  summer  sun  asserts 
itself,  the  snow  upon  the  neighboring  mountains 
yields  to  its  warmth,  and  the  Rio  Rimac  then  becomes 
an  alpine  torrent.  It  is  like  the  Arno  at  Florence, 
which  at  certain  seasons  has  the  form  of  a  river  with- 
out the  circulation.  The  anecdote  is  told  here  of  a 
Yankee  visitor  to  Lima  who  was  being  shown  over  the 
city  by  a  patriotic  citizen,  and  who  on  coming  to  this 
spot  remarked  to  his  chaperon:  "You  ought  either  to 
buy  a  river  or  sell  this  bridge." 

At  the  entrance  of  this  ancient  structure  stands  a 
lofty  and  very  effective  archway,  with  two  tall  towers, 
and  a  clock  in  a  central  elevation.  Prominent  over 
the  arched  entrance  to  the  roadway  is  the  motto  Dios 


844  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

y  La  Patria,, — "God  and  Country."  Nothing  in 
Lima  is  of  more  interest  than  this  hoary,  unique, 
moss-grown  bridge. 

One  pauses  before  the  crumbling  yet  still  substan- 
tial old  structure  to  recall  the  vivid  scenes  which  must 
have  been  enacted  in  the  long,  long  past  upon  its  road- 
way. Here  madly  contending  parties  have  spilled 
each  other's  blood,  hundreds  of  gaudy  church  proces- 
sions have  crossed  these  arches,  bitter  civil  and  foreign 
wars  have  raged  about  the  bridge,  dark  conspiracies 
have  been  whispered  and  ripened  here,  solitary  mur- 
ders committed  in  the  darkness  of  night,  and  lifeless 
bodies  thrown  from  its  parapet ;  but  the  dumb  witness 
still  remains  intact,  having  endured  more  than  three 
hundred  years  of  use  and  abuse. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  unpack  one's  waterproof  or 
umbrella  in  Lima.  It  never  rains  here,  any  more  than 
it  does  in  the  region  of  Aden,  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Red  Sea.  All  vegetable  growth  is  more  or  less  de- 
pendent upon  artificial  irrigation,  and  in  the  environs 
where  this  is  judiciously  applied  the  orange  and  lemon 
trees  are  heavy  with  golden  fruit,  forming  a  rich  con- 
trast with  the  deep  green  of  the  luxuriant  plantain, 
the  thick,  lance-like  agave,  and  the  prolific  banana. 
The  city  and  its  environs  would  be  as  poorly  off  with- 
out the  water  of  the  Rimac  as  would  the  Egyptians  if 
deprived  of  the  annual  overflow  of  the  fertilizing  Nile. 
Though  the  river  is  so  inconsiderable  at  certain  sea- 
sons, still  it  does  supply  a  certain  quantity  of  water 
always,  which  is  improved  to  the  utmost.    Dews  some 


ABSENCE   OF  RAIN.  345 

times  prevail  at  night,  so  heavy  as  to  be  of  partial 
benefit,  giving  to  vegetation  a  breath  of  moisture,  and 
taking  away  the  dead  dryness  of  the  atmosphere. 
This,  however  favorable  for  vegetation,  is  considered 
unwholesome  for  humanity.  The  flowers  and  shrub- 
bery of  the  plaza  droop  for  want  of  water,  and  are 
only  preserved  by  great  care  on  the  part  of  those  in 
charge  of  them.  In  some  of  the  private  gardens 
the  pashinba  palm-tree  is  seen,  very  peculiar  in  its 
growth,  being  mounted  as  it  were  upon  stilts,  formed 
by  the  exposed  straight  roots  which  radiate,  like  a  se- 
ries of  props,  to  support  the  tall  trunk.  At  its  apex  is 
a  singular,  spear-like  stem,  pointing  straight  skyward, 
without  leaf  or  branch,  just  beneath  which  are  the 
graceful,  long,  curved  palm  leaves,  exquisite  in  propor- 
tions, bending  like  ostrich  feathers.  At  first  sight 
this  tree  looks  like  an  artificial  production,  in  which 
nature  has  taken  no  part.  Lying  only  twelve  de- 
grees south  of  the  equator,  Lima  has  a  tropical  cli- 
mate, but  being  also  close  to  the  foothills  of  the  Andes, 
she  is  near  to  a  temperate  district,  so  that  her  market 
yields  the  fruits  and  vegetables  of  two  zones. 

Pizarro,  the  ambitious  and  intrepid  conqueror  of 
Peru,  here  established  his  capital  in  1535,  and  here 
ended  his  days  in  1541,  dying  at  the  hands  of  the  as- 
sassin, the  natural  and  retributive  end  of  a  life  of 
gross  bigotry,  sensuality,  recklessness,  and  almost 
unparalleled  cruelty.  In  a  narrow  street,  —  the  Calle- 
jon  de  Petateron,  —  leading  out  of  the  Plaza  Mayor, 
a  house  is  pointed  out   as  being  the  one  in  which 


346  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

Pizarro  was  assassinated.  Both  Pizarro  in  Peru  and 
Cortez  in  Mexico  owed  their  phenomenal  success  to 
exceptional  circumstances,  namely,  to  the  civil  wars 
which  prevailed  among  the  native  tribes  of  the  coun- 
tries they  invaded.  By  shrewdly  directing  these  in- 
testine troubles  so  as  to  aid  their  own  purposes,  each 
commander  in  his  special  field  achieved  complete  vic- 
tory over  races  which,  thus  disunited  and  pitted 
against  each  other,  fell  an  easy  prey  to  the  cunning 
invaders.  Neither  of  these  adventurers  had  sufficient 
strength  to  contend  against  a  united  and  determined 
people.  Such  an  enemy  on  his  own  ground  would 
have  swept  the  handful  of  Spaniards  led  by  Pizarro 
from  the  face  of  the  earth  by  mere  force  of  numbers. 
Soon  after  its  foundation,  Lima  became  the  most 
luxurious  and  profligate  of  the  viceregal  courts  of 
Spain,  and  so  continued  until  its  declaration  of  inde- 
pendence, and  final  separation  from  the  mother  coun- 
try. The  most  worthless  and  restless  spirits  about 
the  throne  of  Spain  were  favored  in  a  desire  to  join 
Pizarro  in  the  New  World.  The  home  government, 
while  purging  itself  of  so  undesirable  an  element, 
added  to  the  recklessness  and  utter  immorality  which 
reigned  in  the  atmosphere  of  Lima.  Forty-three  suc- 
cessive viceroys  ruled  Peru  during  the  Spanish  occu- 
pancy. The  nefarious  Inquisition,  steeped  in  the 
blood  of  helpless  and  innocent  natives,  was  active  here 
long  after  its  decadence  in  Madrid,  while  the  local 
churches,  convents,  and  monasteries  accumulated 
untold  wealth  by  a  system  of  arbitrary  taxation,  and 


PIZARRO.  347 

iniquitous  extortion  exercised  towards  the  native  race. 
What  better  could  have  been  expected  from  Pizarro 
than  to  inaugurate  and  foster  such  a  state  of  affairs? 
Under  the  influence  of  designing  priests  and  lascivious 
monks,  he  was  as  clay  in  the  potter's  hands,  being 
originally  only  an  illiterate  swineherd,  one  who  could 
neither  read  nor  write.  The  state  docimients  put 
forth  during  his  viceregency,  still  preserved  and  to  be 
seen  in  the  archives  of  Lima,  show  that  he  could  only 
affix  his  mark,  not  even  attempting  to  write  his  own 
name.  Though  Charles  V.  finally  indorsed  and  en- 
nobled him  with  the  title  of  Marques  de  la  Conquista, 
and  appointed  him  viceroy  of  the  conquered  coun- 
try, he  was  still  and  ever  the  illegitimate,  low-bred 
hind  of  Truxillo  in  continental  Spain.  The  palace  of 
this  man,  who,  with  the  exception  of  Cortez,  was  the 
greatest  human  butcher  of  the  age  in  which  he  lived, 
is  stiU  used  for  government  offices,  while  the  senate 
occupies  the  council  chamber  of  the  old  Inquisition 
building,  infamous  for  the  bloody  work  done  within 
its  walls.  H.  Willis  Baxley,  M.  D.,  the  admirable 
author,  writes  on  the  spot  as  follows:  "When  the 
apologists  of  Pizarro  attempt  to  shield  his  crimes,  and 
excuse  his  acts  of  cruelty  by  his  religious  zeal  and 
holy  purpose  of  extending  the  dominion  of  the  cross, 
they  may  well  be  answered  that  the  religion  was  un- 
worthy of  adoption  which  required  for  its  extension 
that  the  wife  of  the  Inca  Manco,  then  a  prisoner  in 
Pizarro's  power,  should  be  'stripped  naked,  boimd  to 
a  tree,  and  in  presence  of  the  camp  be  scourged  with 


348  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

rods,  and  then  shot  to  death  with  arrows !  '  This 
cold-blooded  brutality,  and  to  a  woman,  should  brand 
his  name  with  eternal  infamy." 

As  we  have  intimated,  Lima,  like  Constantinople, 
looks  at  its  best  from  a  distance,  viewed  so  that  the 
full  and  combined  effect  of  its  many  domes  and  spires 
can  be  taken  in  as  a  whole ;  but  whether  near  to  it  or 
far  from  it,  few  places  in  South  America  possess  more 
poetical  and  historical  interest.  Its  past  story  reads 
like  an  Arabian  Nights'  tale.  Though  the  city  is  by 
no  means  what  it  has  been,  and  wears  an  unmistak- 
able air  of  decayed  greatness,  and  though  foreign 
invaders  and  civil  wars  have  done  their  worst,  Lima 
is  still  an  extremely  attractive  metropolis.  Even  the 
vandalism  of  the  late  Chilian  invaders,  who  outraged 
all  the  laws  of  civilized  warfare  (if  there  is  any  such 
thing  as  civilized  warfare),  regardless  of  the  rights 
of  non-combatants,  could  not  obliterate  her  natural 
attractions  and  historical  associations.  The  Chilian 
soldiers  destroyed  solely  for  the  sake  of  destroying, 
mutilated  statuary  and  works  of  art  generally,  besides 
burning  historical  treasures  and  libraries;  and  yet 
these  Chilians  claim  to  be  the  highest  type  of  modern 
civilization  on  the  southern  continent.  They  strove  to 
ruin  whatever  they  could  not  steal  and  carry  away 
with  them  from  Peru,  and,  almost  incredible  to  re- 
cord, they  wantonly  killed  the  elephant  in  the  zoolog- 
ical garden  of  Lima,  and  purloined  the  small  animals. 
Noble,  chivalrous  Chilians!  The  rank  and  file  of 
these  people  are  the  very  embodiment  of  ignorance  and 


CHILIAN  SOLDIERS.  349 

brutality.  The  Chilian  soldier  carries,  as  a  regular 
weapon,  a  curved  knife  called  a  curvos,  with  which 
he  cuts  the  throats  of  his  enemies.  At  close  quarters, 
instead  of  fighting  man-fashion,  as  nearly  all  other  na- 
tions do,  he  springs  like  a  fierce  buU-dog  at  his  oppo- 
nent's throat,  and  with  his  curvos  cuts  it  from  ear  to 
ear.  After  a  battle,  bands  of  these  fiends  in  human 
shape  go  over  the  field,  seeking  out  the  wounded  who 
are  still  alive,  deliberately  cutting  their  throats,  and 
robbing  their  bodies  of  all  valuables.  It  is  Chilian 
tactics  to  take  no  prisoners,  give  no  quarter.  These 
brave  soldiers  would  have  burned  Lima  to  the  ground 
after  gaining  possession,  had  it  not  been  for  the  inter- 
ference of  the  foreign  ministers,  who  had  national  men- 
of-war  at  Callao  with  which  to  back  their  arguments. 
These  guerrillas — for  that  is  just  about  what  the 
Chilian  soldiers  are  —  knew  full  well  that  if  even  a 
small  European  battalion  of  disciplined  men  were 
landed  and  brought  against  them,  they  would  simply 
be  swept  from  the  face  of  the  earth. 

Lima  is  laid  out  with  the  streets  in  rectangular 
form,  the  central  point  being  the  Plaza  Mayor,  in  the 
shape  of  a  quadrangle,  each  side  of  which  is  five 
hundred  feet  in  length.  On  the  north  side  of  this 
admirably  arranged  square  stand  the  buildings  occu- 
pied as  government  offices,  together  with  the  bishop's 
palace,  and  the  cathedral  overshadowed  by  its  two 
lofty  towers.  The  comer-stone  of  this  edifice  was  laid 
by  Pizarro  with  great  ceremony.  The  spires,  although 
presenting   such    an   effective   appearance,    are   con- 


850  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

structed  of  the  most  frail  material,  such  as  bricks, 
stucco,  and  bamboo  frames,  but  stUl,  as  a  whole,  they 
are  undeniably  imposing.  In  this  dry  climate  they 
are,  perhaps,  enduring  also.  Like  the  facade  of  the 
church  of  St.  Roche,  in  Paris,  this  of  the  Lima  ca- 
thedral is  marked  by  bullet-holes  commemorating  the 
Chilian  invasion.  The  church  is  raised  six  or  eight 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  plaza,  as  is  usual  in  South 
America,  standing  upon  a  marble  platform,  reached 
by  broad  steps,  well  calculated  to  enhance  the  really 
graceful  proportions,  and  add  to  the  effect  of  its  broad, 
high  towers.  The  interior  is  quite  commonplace,  with 
the  usual  tinsel,  poor  carvings,  and  wretched  oil  paint- 
ings, including  several  grotesque  Virgin  Marys.  These 
were  too  poor  even  for  the  Chilians  to  steal.  Beneath 
the  grand  altar  rest  the  ashes  of  Pizarro,  the  cruel,  am- 
bitious, reckless  tool  of  the  Romish  Church.  The  ca- 
thedral was  built  in  1540,  but  has  undergone  complete 
repairs  and  renovations  from  time  to  time,  being  still 
considered  to  be  one  of  the  most  imposing  ecclesi- 
astical edifices  in  America.  Its  original  cost  is  said 
to  have  been  nine  million  dollars,  to  obtain  which 
Pizarro  robbed  the  Inca  temples  of  all  their  elaborate 
gold  and  silver  ornaments.  According  to  Prescott, 
the  Spaniards  took  twenty -four  thousand,  eight  hun- 
dred pounds  of  gold,  and  eighty -two  thousand  ounces 
of  silver  from  a  single  Inca  temple  1  Prescott  is  care- 
ful in  his  statements  to  warn  us  of  the  unreliability  of 
the  Spanish  writers,  nearly  all  of  whom  were  Romish 
priests.     Where  figures  are  concerned  they  cannot  be 


THE  PLAZA  MAYOR   OF  LIMA.  351 

depended  upon  for  a  moment.  They  also  took  special 
care  to  cover  up  the  fiendish  atrocities  of  the  Inqui- 
sition, and  the  extortions  of  the  church  as  exercised 
towards  the  poor,  down-trodden  native  race. 

One's  spirits  partook  of  the  sombre  and  austere 
atmosphere  which  reigns  at  all  times  in  this  ancient 
edifice.  It  was  very  lonely.  Not  a  soul  was  to  be 
seen  during  our  brief  visit  to  the  cathedral  at  noon- 
day, except  a  couple  of  decrepit  old  beggars  at  the 
entrance,  the  faint,  dull  glare  of  the  burning  candles 
about  the  altar  only  serving  to  deepen  the  sliadows 
and  emphasize  the  darkness. 

The  area  of  the  Plaza  Mayor  embraces  eight  or 
nine  acres  of  land,  and  has  often  been  the  theatre  of 
most  sanguinary  scenes,  where  hand-to-hand  fights 
have  frequently  taken  place  between  insurgent  cit- 
izens and  soldiers  of  the  ruling  power  of  the  day, 
while  many  unpopular  officials  have  been  hanged  in 
the  towers  of  the  cathedral,  from  each  of  which  pro- 
jects a  gibbet !  The  middle  of  the  plaza  is  beautified 
by  a  bronze  fountain  with  arboreal  and  floral  sur- 
roundings. There  was  formerly  some  statuary  here, 
which  the  brave  Chilians  stole  and  carried  away  with 
them,  even  purloining  the  iron  benches,  which  they 
transported  to  Valparaiso  and  Santiago.  The  streets 
running  from  this  square,  with  the  exception  of  the 
Calle  de  los  Mercaderes,  have  an  atmosphere  of  anti- 
quity, which  contrasts  with  the  people  one  meets  in 
them.  Even  the  turkey  buzzards,  acting  as  street 
scavengers,  are  of  an  antique  species,  looking  quite 


352  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

gray  and  dilapidated,  as  though  they  were  a  hundred 
years  old.  In  Vera  Cruz  the  same  species  of  bird, 
kept  for  a  similar  purpose,  have  a  brightness  of 
feather,  and  jauntiness  withal,  quite  unlike  these  fea- 
thered street-cleaners  of  Lima.  The  "  Street  of  the 
Merchants,"  just  referred  to,  is  the  fashionable  shop- 
ping thoroughfare  of  Lima,  where  in  the  afternoons 
the  ladies  and  gentlemen  are  seen  in  goodly  numbers 
promenading  in  full  dress. 

There  is  here  the  usual  multiplicity  of  churches, 
convents,  and  nunneries,  such  as  are  to  be  found  in 
all  Spanish  cities,  though  the  latter  establishments 
have  been  partially  suppressed.  Some  of  the  churches 
of  Lima  are  fabulously  expensive  structures ;  indeed, 
the  amount  of  money  squandered  on  churches  and 
church  property  in  this  city  is  marvelous.  During 
the  late  war  many  articles  of  gold  and  silver,  belong- 
ing to  them,  were  melted  into  coin,  but  some  were 
hidden,  and  have  once  more  been  restored  to  their 
original  position  in  the  churches.  The  convent  and 
church  of  San  Francisco  form  one  of  the  most  costly 
groups  of  buildings  of  the  sort  in  America.  The  or- 
namental tiles  of  the  flooring  are  calciJated,  not  by 
the  square  yard,  but  by  the  acre.  There  are  over  a 
hundred  Roman  Catholic  churches  in  Lima,  few  of 
which  have  any  architectural  beauty,  but  all  of  which 
are  crowded  with  vulgar  wax  figures,  wooden  images, 
and  bleeding  saints.  These  churches  in  several  in- 
stances have  very  striking  faQades :  that  of  La  Mer- 
ced, for  instance;  but  they  are  mere  shams,  as  we 


SUNDAY  IN  LIMA.  353 

have  already  said,  —  stucco  and  plaster ;  they  woidd 
not  endure  the  wear  of  any  other  climate  for  a  single 
decade. 

With  all  this  outside  religious  show  in  Lima,  there 
is  no  corresponding  observance  of  the  sacred  character 
of  the  Sabbath.  It  is  held  rather  as  a  period  of  gross 
license  and  indulgence,  and  devoted  to  bull -fights, 
cock-fighting,  and  drunkenness.  The  lottery-ticket 
vender  reaps  the  greatest  harvest  on  this  occasion,  and 
the  gambling  saloons  are  all  open.  Children  pursue 
their  every -day  sports  with  increased  ardor,  and  the 
town  puts  on  a  gala  day  aspect.  At  night  the  streets 
are  ablaze,  the  theatres  are  crowded,  and  dissipation 
of  every  conceivable  sort  waxes  fast  and  furious  until 
long  past  midnight.  The  ignorant  mass  generally  has 
drifted  into  observing  the  rituals  of  the  Romish 
Church,  but  there  are  many  of  the  native  Indians  in 
Peru  who  cherish  a  belief  of  a  millennium  in  the  near 
future ;  a  time  when  the  true  prophet  of  the  sun  will 
return  and  restore  the  grand  old  Inca  dynasty.  Just 
so  the  Moors  of  Tangier  hold  to  the  belief  that  the 
time  will  yet  come  when  they  will  be  restored  to  the 
glory  of  their  fathers,  and  to  their  beloved  Granada; 
that  the  halls  of  the  Alhambra  will  once  more  resound 
to  the  Moorish  lute,  and  the  grand  cathedral  of  Cor- 
dova shall  again  become  a  mosque  of  the  true  faith. 

The  fact  that  the  bull-ring  of  Lima  will  accommo- 
date sixteen  thousand  people,  and  that  it  is  always 
well  filled  on  Sundays,  speaks  for  itself.  At  these 
sanguinary  performances   a  certain  class   of  women 


354  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

appear  in  large  numbers  and  in  full  dress,  entering 
heartily  into  the  spirit  of  the  occasion,  and  waving 
their  handkerchiefs  furiously  to  applaud  the  actors  in 
the  tragedy,  while  the  exhibitions  are  characterized 
by  even  more  cruelty  than  at  Madrid  or  Havana. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

A  Grand  Plaza.  —  Retribution.  —  The  University  of  Lima.  —  Sig- 
nificance of  Ancient  Pottery.  —  Architecture.  —  Picturesque  Dwell- 
ing'. —  Domestic  Scene.  —  Destructive  Earthquakes.  —  Spanish 
Sway.  —  Women  of  Lima.  —  Street  Costumes.  —  Ancient  Bridge 
of  Lima.  —  Newspapers.  —  Pawnbrokers'  Shops.  —  Exports.  —  An 
Ancient  Mecca.  —  Home  by  Way  of  Europe. 

The  large  square  in  Lima,  known  as  Plazuela  de  la 
Independencia,  is  grand  in  its  proportions.  One  prom- 
inent feature  is  the  bronze  statue  of  Bolivar,  the 
famous  South  American  patriot.  It  also  contains  the 
old  palace  of  the  Inquisition,  which  looks  to-day  more 
like  a  stable  than  a  palace.  This  detestable  institu- 
tion attained  to  greater  scope  and  power  here  than 
it  did  even  in  Mexico.  According  to  its  own  records, 
during  its  existence  in  the  capital  of  Peru,  fifty-nine 
persons  were  publicly  burned  alive  as  heretics,  be- 
cause they  would  not  acknowledge  the  Roman  Catholic 
faith,  thousands  were  tortured  until  in  their  agony 
they  agreed  to  anything,  while  thousands  were  publicly 
scourged  to  the  same  end.  Coidd  the  truth  be  fully 
known  as  regards  the  bigoted  reign  of  the  priesthood 
at  the  time  referred  to  in  Peru,  it  would  form  one  of 
the  most  startling  chapters  of  modern  history.  But 
they  were  their  own  chroniclers,  and  suppressed  every- 
thing which  might  possibly  reflect  upon  themselves  or 


356  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

upon  their  church.  Retribution  was  slow,  but  it  has 
come  finally.  The  former  convent  of  Guadeloupe  is 
now  occupied  for  a  worthy  object  as  a  high  school ;  the 
main  portion  of  the  cloisters  of  San  Francisco  have 
made  way  for  the  college  of  San  Marco ;  that  of  San 
Carlos  has  supplanted  the  Jesuits  ;  San  Juan  de  Dios 
is  now  occupied  as  a  railway  station ;  whUe  the  once 
famous  and  infamous  convent  of  Santa  Catalina  serves 
to-day  as  the  public  market. 

The  University  of  Lima  was  the  first  seat  of  edu- 
cation established  in  the  New  World,  or,  to  fix  the 
period  more  clearly  in  the  average  reader's  mind,  it 
dates  from  about  seventy  years  before  the  historic 
Mayflower  reached  the  shore  of  New  England.  The 
National  Library  contains  some  forty  thousand  vol- 
umes, also  a  collection  of  Peruvian  antiquities,  besides 
many  objects  of  natural  history,  mostly  of  such  exam- 
ples as  are  indigenous  to  this  section.  There  is  one 
large  oil  painting  in  this  building  by  a  native  artist 
named  Monteros,  the  canvas  measuring  thirty  by  twenty 
feet.  The  title  is  "  Obsequies  of  Atahualpa."  This  was 
carried  away  by  the  thieving  Chilians,  but  was  finally 
restored  to  Peru.  It  should  be  mentioned,  to  their 
lasting  shame,  that  the  books  which  they  stole  at  the 
same  time  have  not  been  returned. 

The  ancient  pottery  one  sees  in  the  collection  of 
Peruvian  antiquities  is  wonderfully  like  that  to  be 
found  in  the  Boulak  Museum  at  Cairo,  in  Egypt, 
Etruscan  and  Egyptian  patterns  prevailing  over  all 
other  forms,  which  strongly  suggests  a  common  origin. 


DWELLING-HOUSES.  357 

Besides  those  which  we  have  named,  there  are  several 
other  educational  and  art  institutions  in  the  city, 
together  with  three  hospitals,  two  lunatic  asylums,  a 
college  of  arts,  and  the  National  Mint.  One  hospital, 
bearing  the  name  of  the  Second  of  May  Hospital,  is  a 
very  large  and  thoroughly  equipped  establishment, 
occupying  a  whole  square,  and  having  accommodations 
for  seven  hundred  patients.  There  are  four  theatres, 
one  of  which  is  conducted  by  the  Chinese  after  their  own 
peculiar  fashion.  The  outsides  of  the  dwelling-houses 
are  painted  in  various  brilliant  colors,  a  practice  which 
is  found  to  prevail  all  over  the  southern  continent,  and 
which  exhibits  an  inherent  love  among  the  people  for 
warm,  bright  hues.  The  roofs  of  most  houses  serve  as 
a  depository  for  hens  and  chickens,  noisy  gamecocks 
especially  asserting  themselves  before  daybreak,  for- 
bidding all  ideas  of  morning  naps,  unless  one  is 
accustomed  to  the  din.  Many  of  the  dwellings  are 
picturesque  and  attractive,  with  overhanging  balco- 
nies and  bay  windows,  the  latter  oftentimes  finished 
very  elaborately  with  handsome  wood  carvings  and 
open-work  lattices.  As  to  the  prevailing  style  of 
architecture,  it  is  Spanish  and  Moorish  combined,  each 
building  being  constructed  about  a  central  patio,  which 
is  often  rendered  lovely  with  flowers  and  statuary, 
together  with  small  orange  and  lemon  trees  in  large 
painted  tubs. 

The  abundance  of  cracks  in  the  walls  of  the  dwell- 
ings, both  inside  and  out,  is  a  significant  hint  that 
we  are  in  an  earthquake  country.     A  slight  shake  is 


358  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

hardly  spoken  of  at  all ;  they  come  so  often  as  to  be 
comparatively  unheeded. 

In  the  environs  of  Lima  the  houses  are  built  of 
adobe,  rarely  over  one  story  in  height,  with  very  thick 
walls,  this  style  having  been  found  the  best  to  resist 
the  earthquakes,  which  must  be  very  serious  indeed 
to  affect  a  low  adobe  house  with  walls  two  feet  and  a 
half  thick.  About  these  residences,  which,  not  to  put 
too  fine  a  point  upon  the  matter,  are  really  nothing 
but  mud  cabins,  there  is  often  seen  an  attractive 
and  refining  feature,  namely,  small,  but  exceedingly 
pretty  plots  of  cultivated  flowers.  It  is  astonishing 
how  perfectly  they  serve  to  throw  a  flavor  of  refine- 
ment over  all  things  else.  The  variety  and  fragrance  of 
the  Lima  roses  are  something  long  to  be  remembered, 
and  the  people  here  seem  to  have  a  special  love  for 
this  most  popular  of  flowers.  We  had  missed  them 
nearly  everywhere  else  in  South  America ;  therefore 
they  were  thrice  welcome  when  they  greeted  us  at  Lima. 

There  is  a  dwelling-house  in  this  city  belonging  to 
an  old  and  rich  family,  which  is  worth  a  pilgrimage 
to  see.  It  is  built  of  stone,  artistically  carved,  with  a 
square  balcony  and  bay  window  on  each  side  of  the 
tall,  spacious,  and  elaborately  ornamented  doorway. 
It  is  clearly  Moorish  in  type,  and  must  be  nearly  or 
quite  three  hundred  years  old.  Photographs  are  found 
of  its  facade  in  the  art  stores  of  Lima,  and  most 
visitors  bring  one  away  with  them  as  a  memento  of 
the  place.  The  house  stands  even  with  the  thorough- 
fare, and  is  only  two  stories  in  height,  but  is  a  beautiful 


A   DOMESTIC  PICTURE.  859 

relic  of  the  past.  It  would  be  quite  in  accordance 
with  the  surroundings,  were  it  to  be  transported  to 
Cairo  or  Bagdad. 

On  the  way  from  the  Plaza  Mayor  to  this  at- 
tractive bit  of  Morisco  architecture,  one  gets  frequent 
glimpses  of  pretty,  cool,  flower-decked  patios,  about 
which  the  low  picturesque  dwellings  are  erected,  and 
where  domestic  life  is  seen  in  partial  seclusion.  An 
infant  is  playing  on  the  marble  paved  court,  watched 
by  a  dark  Indian  nurse.  An  ermine-colored  cockatoo 
with  a  gorgeous  yellow  plume  is  gravely  eying  the  child 
from  its  perch.  Creeping  vines  twine  about  the  slim 
columns  which  support  a  low  arcade  above  the  entrance 
floor.  Farther  in,  a  bit  of  statuary  peeps  out  from 
among  the  greenery,  which  is  growing  in  high-colored 
wooden  tubs.  The  vine,  which  clings  tenaciously  to 
the  small  columns,  is  the  passion  plant,  its  flowers  seem- 
ing almost  artificial  in  their  regularity,  brightness, 
and  abundance.  A  fair  senora  in  diaphanous  robes 
reclines  at  ease  in  a  low,  pillowed  seat,  and  the  senor, 
cigarette  in  mouth,  swings  leisurely  in  a  hammock. 

It  was  a  pretty,  characteristic  family  picture,  of 
which  we  should  be  glad  to  possess  a  photograph. 

Few  cities  have  a  more  agreeable  climate.  The 
range  of  the  thermometer  throughout  the  year  being 
for  the  winter  season  from  68°  to  75°,  and  in  the 
summer  from  80°  to  88°.  The  Humboldt  current,  as 
it  is  called,  sweeps  along  the  coast  from  the  Antarctic 
circle,  causing  a  much  lower  temperature  here  than 
exists  in  the  same  latitude  on  the  other  side  of  the 


360  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

continent.  Lima,  it  will  be  remembered,  is  situated 
about  twelve  degrees  from  the  equatorial  line.  The 
climate  is  of  exquisite  softness,  beneath  a  sky  serenely 
blue  ;  every  breath  is  a  pleasure,  tranquillizing  to  both 
mind  and  body.  Rain  is  of  very  rare  occurrence, 
as  we  have  intimated,  but  earthquakes  are  frequent. 
The  most  destructive  visit  of  this  sort  in  modern  times 
was  in  1745,  which  at  the  same  time  destroyed  the 
port  of  Callao.  Though  Lima  is  blessed  with  such 
a  seemingly  equable  climate,  for  some  unexplained 
reason  it  is  very  far  from  being  a  healthy  place. 
The  great  mortality  which  prevails  here  is  entirely  out 
of  proportion  to  the  number  of  inhabitants.  There 
must  be  some  local  reason  for  this.  Even  in  the  days 
of  the  Incas,  the  present  site  of  the  city  was  deemed 
to  be  a  spot  only  fit  for  criminals  ;  that  is  to  say, 
a  penal  colony  was  located  here,  where  the  earlier 
Peruvians  placed  condemned  people,  and  where  a  high 
rate  of  mortality  was  not  regarded  as  being  entirely 
objectionable.  The  Campo  Santo  of  Lima,  in  the  im- 
mediate environs  of  the  city,  is  built  with  tall  thick 
waUs  containing  niches  four  ranges  high,  and  recalls 
those  of  the  city  of  Mexico.  It  is  not  customary  to 
bury  in  the  ground.  Some  of  the  moniunents  are 
quite  elaborate,  but  the  place  generally  has  a  neglected 
appearance,  and  no  attempt  seems  made  to  give  it  a 
pleasing  aspect.     It  has  neither  flowers  nor  trees. 

The  Spaniards,  during  a  sway  which  lasted  over 
three  hundred  years,  were  terrible  taskmasters  in  Peru, 
enslaving,  crushing,  and  massacring  the  natives,  just 


THE    WOMEN  OF  LIMA.  •     361 

as  they  did  in  Cuba  and  Mexico.  The  Indians  were 
looked  upon  as  little  more  than  beasts  of  burden,  and 
their  lives  or  well-being  were  of  no  sort  of  account,  ex- 
cept so  far  as  they  served  the  purposes  of  the  invad- 
ing hordes  of  Spaniards.  The  race  which  has  been  pro- 
duced by  intermarriage  and  promiscuous  intei'course 
is  a  very  heterogeneous  one,  born  of  aborigines,  ne- 
groes, mulattoes,  Spaniards,  and  Portuguese.  In  reli- 
gion, as  well  as  in  daily  life,  the  habits  of  the  people  are 
Castilian,  whether  red,  yellow,  or  black.  There  is  also 
a  considerable  Chinese  population,  which,  however,  as  a 
rule,  maintains  isolation  from  other  nationalities  so  far 
as  intermarriage  or  close  intimacy  is  concerned.  Many 
of  the  Chinese  keep  cheap  eating-houses,  and  always 
seem  to  be  industrious  and  thrifty.  They  are  the  out- 
come of  the  coolie  trade,  by  which  the  Peruvian  plan- 
tations were  for  years  supplied  with  laborers,  —  slave 
labor,  for  that  is  exactly  what  it  was  to  all  intents  and 
purposes,  call  it  what  we  may.  But  this  cruel  and 
unjust  system  has  long  been  suppressed.  Most  of  the 
small  shops  are  kept  by  Italians,  and  the  best  hotels 
by  Frenchmen.  The  banking-houses  are  usually  con- 
ducted by  Germans,  while  Americans  and  Englishmen 
divide  the  engineering  work,  the  construction  of  rail- 
ways, with  such  other  progressive  enterprises  as  re- 
quire a  large  share  of  brains,  energy,  and  capital. 

The  women  are  generally  handsome  and  of  the 
Spanish  type,  yet  they  differ  therefrom  in  some  im- 
portant and  very  obvious  particulars.  Their  gypsy 
complexions,  jet  black  hair  and  eyes,  white,  regidar 


362      •  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

teeth,  with  full  red  lips,  form  a  combination  very 
pleasing  to  the  eye.  It  must  be  acknowledged,  how- 
ever, that  their  complexions  are  aided  by  cosmetics. 
The  features  are  small  and  regular,  the  ears  being  set 
particularly  close  to  the  head,  which  is  always  a  no- 
ticeable peculiarity  when  it  prevails.  They  are  viva- 
cious and  mirthfiil,  yet  not  forward  or  immodest.  As 
regards  the  youthful  portion,  conventionality  prevents 
all  exhibition  of  the  latter  trait.  In  dress  they  follow 
the  styles  of  Boston,  New  York,  and  Paris.  As  their 
brothers  have  been  mostly  educated  in  the  cities  named, 
they  very  generally  speak  French  and  English.  Many 
of  the  ladies  have  themselves  enjoyed  the  advantages 
of  English,  French,  or  North  American  schools  in  their 
girlhood.  A  certain  etiquette  as  regards  the  society 
of  men  is  very  strictly  observed  here.  No  gentleman 
can  associate  with  a  young  lady  unless  she  is  chap- 
eroned by  her  mother  or  a  married  sister.  From  what 
we  know  of  Spanish  and  Italian  character,  we  are  not 
at  all  surprised  at  the  punctiliousness  adhered  to  in 
both  countries  in  this  regard.  There  are  very  good 
reasons  why  such  rules  are  imperative,  not  only  in 
South  America,  but  in  continental  Europe.  Like 
most  of  the  Spanish  women,  these  of  Lima,  after  the 
age  of  twenty-five,  though  they  are  rather  short,  and 
of  small  frames,  nearly  always  develop  into  a  decided 
fullness  of  figure. 

There  is  a  semi-oriental  seclusion  observed  at  all 
times  as  regards  the  sex  in  this  country.  They  are 
rarely  seen  upon  the  streets,  except  when  driving,  or 


NATIONAL   COSTUME.  363 

going  and  coming  from  church ;  but  one  need  not 
watch  very  closely  to  see  many  inquisitive  eyes  peeping 
from  behind  the  curtained  balconies  which  overhang 
the  thoroughfares,  and  to  catch  occasionally  stolen 
glances  from  pretty,  coquettish  owners,  who  would  be 
very  hospitable  to  strangers  if  they  dared. 

Human  nature  is  much  the  same  in  Lima  as  else- 
where. When  seen  on  the  streets,  the  ladies  generally 
wear  the  black  "  manta  "  drawn  close  about  the  head 
and  shoulders  and  partially  covering  the  face.  The 
manta  is  a  shawl  and  bonnet  combined,  or  rather  it 
takes  the  place  of  a  bonnet,  and  suggests  the  lace  veil 
so  universally  worn  at  Havana,  Seville,  and  Madrid, 
also  recalling  the  yashmak  worn  by  the  women  of  the 
East.  The  Lima  ladies  cover  half  the  face,  including 
one  eye  ;  those  of  Egypt  only  cover  the  lower  part  of 
the  face,  leaving  both  eyes  exposed. 

We  are  speaking  of  the  better  class  of  the  metrop- 
olis. Among  the  more  common  people,  instances  of 
great  personal  beauty  are  frequent.  One  sees  daily 
youthful  girls  on  the  streets  who  would  be  pronoimced 
beautiful  under  nearly  any  circumstances,  an  inher- 
itance only  too  often  proving  a  fatal  legacy  to  the 
owner,  forming  a  source  of  temptation  in  a  community 
where  morals  are  held  of  such  slight  account,  except 
among  the  more  refined  classes,  of  whom  we  have  been 
speaking. 

One  peculiarity  is  especially  noticeable  here  among 
the  native  race :  it  is  that  the  Peruvians  seem  to  be 
mere  lookers-on  as  regards  the  business  of  life    in 


364 


EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 


their  country.  All  of  the  important  trade  is,  as  we 
have  said,  in  the  hands  of  foreigners.  The  English 
control  the  shipping  interests,  almost  entirely,  while 
the  skilled  machinists  are  nearly  all  "Americans,  with 
a  few  Scotchmen.  We  repeat  this  fact  as  showing 
the  do-nothing  nature  of  the  natives,  and  also  as  sig- 
nifying that  for  true  progress,  indeed,  for  the  growth 
of  civilization  in  any  desirable  direction,  emigration 
from  Europe  and  North  America  must  be  depended 
upon. 

The  heavy  alcoves  of  the  old  stone  bridge  at  Lima 
are  appropriated  by  the  fruit  women,  whose  tempting 
display  forms  glowing  bits  of  color.  The  thorough- 
fares are  crowded  by  itinerant  peddlers  of  all  sorts  of 
merchandise.  Milk-women  come  from  the  country, 
mounted  astride  of  small  horses  or  donkeys;  water 
carriers  trot  about  on  jackasses,  sitting  behind  their 
water  jars  and  uttering  piercing  cries  ;  Chinese  food 
venders,  with  articles  made  from  mysterious  sources, 
balance  their  baskets  at  either  end  of  long  poles  placed 
across  their  shoulders ;  the  lottery-ticket  vender,  loud 
voiced  and  urgent,  is  ever  present ;  newspaper  boys, 
after  our  own  fashion,  shout  "  El  Pais, "  or  "  El 
Nacional ; "  chicken  dealers,  with  baskets  full  of  live 
birds  on  their  head  and  half  a  dozen  hanging  from  each 
hand,  solicit  your  patronage ;  beggars  of  both  sexes, 
but  mostly  lazy,  worthless  men,  feign  pitiful  lame- 
ness, while  importuning  every  stranger  for  a  centavo  ; 
bright,  careless  girls  and  boys  rush  hither  and  thither, 
full  of  life  and  spirit,  —  black,  yellow,  brown,  and 


PAWNBROKERS'  SHOPS.  365 

white,  all  mingling  together  on  an  equal  footing.  The 
absence  of  wheeled  vehicles  is  noticeable,  the  tramway- 
cars  gliding  rapidly  past  the  pedestrians,  while  pack- 
horses  and  donkeys  transport  mostly  such  merchan- 
dise as  is  not  carried  on  the  heads  of  men  and  women. 
Of  the  better  class  of  citizens  who  help  to  make  up 
this  polyglot  community  of  the  metropolis,  one  very 
easily  distinguishes  the  American,  French,  German, 
and  English ;  each  nationality  is  somehow  distinctively 
marked. 

The  stock  of  goods  offered  for  sale  in  the  pawn- 
brokers' shops,  as  a  rule,  is  very  significant  in  for- 
eign cities ;  here  the  shelves  of  these  dealers  are  full 
of  valuable  domestic  articles,  which  the  fallen  fortunes 
of  the  once  rich  Lima  families  have  compelled  them 
to  part  with  from  time  to  time  in  a  struggle  to  keep 
the  wolf  from  the  door.  The  Chilians  took  aU  they 
could  readily  find  of  both  public  and  private  property, 
and  though  they  ruined  financially  some  of  the  best 
families,  they  did  not  succeed  in  getting  everything 
which  was  portable  and  valuable.  Heirlooms  are 
offered  in  these  shops  for  comparatively  trifling  simis, 
such  as  rich  old  lace  ;  diamonds ;  superbly  wrought 
bracelets  in  gold,  rubies,  topazes,  and  other  precious 
stones,  set  and  unset ;  gold  and  silver  spoons  and  forks 
of  curious  designs,  and  of  which  only  one  set  were 
ever  manufactured,  intended  to  fill  a  special  order  and 
suit  the  fancy  of  some  rich  family.  Drinking-cups 
bearing  royal  crests,  and  others  with  the  arms  of  noble 
Castilian  families  engraved  upon  them,  are  nimierous. 


866  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

There  are  also  swords  with  jeweled  hilts,  gold  and  sil- 
ver table  ornaments,  together  with  antique  china,  which 
might  rival  the  Satsmna  of  Japan.  Curio  hunters 
have  secured  many,  nay,  nearly  all,  of  the  very  choicest 
of  these  domestic  relics,  which  they  have  mostly  taken 
to  London,  where  they  obtained  fabulous  prices  for 
them. 

We  were  told  of  an  enterprising  Yankee  who  in- 
vested one  thousand  dollars  in  these  articles,  took 
them  to  England,  and  promptly  realized  some  eleven 
thousand  dollars  above  all  his  expenses  upon  the  ven- 
ture. Returning  to  Rio  Janeiro,  on  the  east  coast, 
he  purchased  precious  stones  with  his  increased  cap- 
ital, and,  strange  to  say,  although  he  was  by  no  means 
an  expert,  among  his  gems  he  secured  an  old  mine 
diamond  of  great  value  at  a  low  figure,  which,  having 
been  crudely  cut,  did  not  exhibit  its  real  excellence. 
Taking  the  whole  of  his  second  purchase  to  Paris,  he 
disposed  of  his  gems  at  a  large  advance,  and  finally 
returned  to  New  York  with  a  net  capital  exceeding 
forty  thousand  dollars.  This  enterprising  and  suc- 
cessful indiAddual  bore  the  euphonious  name  of  Smyth, 
—  Smyth  with  ay,  —  Alfred  Smyth. 

The  three  watering-places,  or  country  villages  of 
Miraflores,  Baranco,  and  ChorUlos,  are  connected 
with  Lima  by  railway,  and  in  these  resorts  many  city 
merchants  have  their  summer  homes,  occupying  pic- 
turesque ranchos.  The  Chilians  sacked  and  burned 
these  places  during  the  war,  but  they  have  been  mostly 
rebuilt,  and  are  once  more  in  a  thriving  condition. 


EARTHQUAKES.  367 

Peru  was  celebrated  for  centuries  as  the  most  pro- 
lific gold  and  silver  producing  country  in  the  world ; 
her  very  name  has  long  been  the  synonym  for  riches. 
Although  the  product  of  the  precious  metals  is  still 
considerable,  yet  it  is  quite  insignificant  compared 
with  the  revenue  which  she  has  realized  from  the  ex- 
port of  guano  and  phosphates.  The  former  article, 
as  we  have  already  said,  has  become  virtually  ex- 
hausted, and  the  latter  source  of  supply,  still  im- 
mensely prolific  and  valuable,  has  been  stolen  from 
her  bodily  by  the  Chilians,  so  that  Peru  has  now  to 
fall  back  upon  industry  and  the  remaining  natural 
resources  of  the  soil. 

The  most  remarkable  peculiarity  in  the  physical 
formation  of  Peru  is  the  double  Cordillera  of  the 
Andes,  which  traverse  it  from  southeast  to  northwest, 
separating  the  country  into  three  distinct  regions, 
which  differ  materially  from  each  other  in  climate, 
soil,  and  vegetation.  To  the  proximity  of  the  range 
nearest  to  the  coast  is  undoubtedly  to  be  attributed 
the  frequent  earthquakes  which  disturb  the  shore, 
whether  the  volcanoes  are  apparently  extinct  or  not. 
It  may  be  reasonably  doubted  if  any  of  the  volcanoes 
are  absolutely  extinct,  in  the  full  sense  of  the  term. 
They  may  be  inoperative,  so  far  as  can  be  seen,  for  an 
entire  century,  and  at  its  close  break  out  in  full  vigor. 
In  consulting  the  authorities  upon  this  subject  we  find 
that,  since  1570,  there  have  been  sixty-nine  destruc- 
tive earthquakes  recorded  as  having  taken  place  on 
the  west  coast  of  South  America.     The  most  terrible 


368  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

of  them  was  that  already  referred  to,  which  destroyed 
Callao  in  1745.  It  is  stated  that  the  shocks  at  that 
time  continued  with  more  or  less  violence  for  three 
consecutive  months,  and  the  records  of  the  event  fur- 
ther state  that  there  were  two  hundred  and  twenty 
distinct  shocks  within  the  twenty-four  hours  following 
the  enormous  tidal  wave  which  overwhelmed  Callao. 
At  present,  hardly  a  week  passes  without  decided  in- 
dications of  volcanic  disturbance  occurring,  but  these 
are  of  so  slight  a  nature,  comparatively  speaking, 
that  but  little  attention  is  paid  to  them  by  the  native 
population,  though  it  is  true  that  sensitive  strangers 
often  turn  pale  at  such  an  event  and  tremble  with 
fearful  anticipations. 

About  twenty  miles  south  of  Lima,  on  elevated 
ground  which  overlooks  the  Pacific,  is  the  prehistoric 
spot  known  as  Pachacamac,  in  the  valley  of  the  Lurin 
River.  The  name  signifies  the  "  Creator  of  the  World," 
to  whom  the  city  and  its  temples  were  originally  dedi- 
cated. Here,  upon  the  edge  of  the  desert,  once  stood 
the  sacred  city  of  a  people  who  preceded  the  Incas, 
and  who  have  left  in  these  interesting,  mouldering 
ruins  tokens  of  their  advanced  civilization,  as  clearly 
defined  as  are  those  of  Thebes,  in  far  away  Egypt. 
Another  fact  should  not  be  lost  sight  of  in  this  con- 
nection, that  many  ancient  remains  to  be  found  in  this 
neighborhood  evince  a  higher  degree  of  intelligence, 
in  their  constructive  belongings,  than  do  any  evidences 
left  to  us  respecting  the  days  of  the  Incas,  with  whom 
we  are  in  a  measure  familiar.     The  archaeologists, 


ANCIENT  RUINS.  369 

whose  profession  it  is  to  carefully  weigh  even  the 
slightest  tangible  evidence  which  time  has  spared,  long 
since  came  to  this  conclusion. 

Pachacamac  was  the  Mecca  of  South  America,  or 
at  least  of  the  most  civilized  portion  of  it,  if  we  may 
judge  by  present  appearances,  and  by  the  testimony 
of  history  as  far  back  as  it  reaches. 

The  ruins  at  Pachacamac  consist  of  walls  formed  of 
adode  and  sun-dried  bricks,  some  of  which  can  be 
traced,  notwithstanding  the  many  earthquakes  which 
have  shaken  the  neighborhood.  The  site  of  the  ruins 
is  a  hilly  spot,  and  the  sands  have  drifted  so  as  to 
cover  them  in  many  places,  just  as  the  Sphinx  and 
the  base  of  the  pyramids  have  been  covered,  near 
Cairo.  Specific  ruins  are  designated  as  having  once 
been  the  grand  temple  of  the  sun,  and  others  as  the 
house  of  the  sacred  virgins  of  the  sun.  It  is  very 
obvious  that  the  Incas  destroyed  a  grand  and  spacious 
temple  here,  which  legend  tells  us  was  heavily  adorned 
with  silver  and  gold,  to  make  way  for  one  of  their 
own  dedicated  to  the  worship  of  the  sun.  Who  this 
race  were  and  whence  they  came,  with  so  considerable 
a  system  of  civilization,  is  a  theme  which  has  long 
absorbed  the  speculative  antiquarian.  It  is  easy 
enough  to  construct  theories  which  may  meet  the 
case,  but  it  is  difficult  to  support  them  when  they  are 
subjected  to  the  cold  arguments  of  reason  and  the 
test  of  known  history.  Actual  knowledge  is  a  great 
iconoclast,  and  smashes  the  poetical  images  of  the  un- 
reliable historian  with  a  ruthless  hand.     The  Spanish 


370  EQUATORIAL  AMERICA. 

records  relating  to  the  period  of  early  discovery  here, 
as  also  of  Pizarro's  career  and  the  doing  of  the  agents 
of  the  Romish  Church,  have  long  since  been  proven 
to  be  absolutely  unworthy  of  belief. 

About  the  ruins  of  Pachacamac  was  once  a  sacred 
burial  place,  where  well-preserved  mummies  are  still 
to  be  found,  but  the  great,  silent,  ruined  city  itself 
does  not  contain  one  living  inhabitant.  The  grave- 
yard —  the  Campo  Santo  — remains,  as  it  were,  intact, 
but  the  proud  city,  with  its  grand  temples  dedicated 
to  unknown  gods,  has  crumbled  to  dust. 

Curiously  carved  gold  and  silver  vases  and  orna- 
ments, exhibiting  the  exercise  of  a  high  degree  of 
artistic  skill,  have  been  exhumed  in  the  vast  graveyard 
surrounding  these  ruins,  whose  extent,  if  judged  by 
the  number  of  interments  which  have  taken  place 
here,  must  have  been  ten  times  larger  than  the  present 
site  of  Lima,  and  it  must  have  contained  a  population 
many  times  larger  than  that  of  the  present  capital  of 
Peru.  In  the  mouths  of  the  well-preserved  mmnmies 
foimd  buried  here,  we  are  told  that  gold  coins  were 
found,  presumably  placed  there  to  pay  for  ferriage 
across  the  river  of  death.  Here  we  have  a  fact  also 
worthy  of  note.  It  thus  appears  that  this  people  must 
have  had  a  circulating  mediimi  in  the  shape  of  gold 
coin.  As  the  placing  of  coin  in  the  mouth  of  the  de- 
ceased was  a  custom  of  the  ancient  Greeks,  may  it  not 
be  that  these  people  came  originally  from  Greece  or 
from  some  contiguous  country? 

There  are  numerous  other  ancient  remains  in  the 


HOMEWARD  BOUND.  371 

neighborhood  of  Lima,  of  which  even  tradition  fails 
to  give  any  account.  Antiquarians  find  many  clues  to 
special  knowledge  of  the  past  in  the  remains  which 
can  be  exhumed  in  places  on  the  coast  of  Chili  and 
Peru,  in  the  ancient  graves  where  the  nitrous  soil  has 
preserved  not  only  the  bodies  of  a  former  people,  but 
also  their  tools,  weapons,  and  domestic  utensils. 

To  reach  the  United  States  from  Callao,  the  most 
direct  course  is  to  sail  northward  fifteen  hundred  miles 
to  Panama,  and  cross  the  isthmus,  aguin  taking  ship 
from  the  Atlantic  side ;  but  the  author's  family 
awaited  him  in  Europe,  and  as  the  Pacific  mail  ser- 
vice exactly  met  his  requirements,  he  sailed  southward, 
touching  at  several  of  the  ports  already  visited,  cross- 
ing the  Atlantic  by  way  of  the  Canary  and  Cape  de 
Verde  Islands  to  Lisbon,  thence  to  Southampton  and 
to  London.  Joining  his  family,  he  crossed  the  At- 
lantic from  Liverpool  to  Boston,  after  an  absence  of 
seven  months,  traveling  in  all  of  this  equatorial  jour- 
ney some  thirty  thousand  miles  without  any  serious 
mishap,  and  having  acquired  a  largely  augmented 
fund  of  pleasurable  memories. 


